At least 11 dead in Bangladesh road mishap

A speeding truck veered into a roadside canal in Bangladesh's Mymensingh district, killing 11 fishermen and injuring six others.

A speeding produce truck veered into a roadside canal in northern Bangladesh on Wednesday, killing 11 fishermen and injuring six others, a television station reported.

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The accident occurred in Mymensingh district, 112 kms north of national capital, Dhaka, private TV station ATN Bangla reported.

Nine victims died instantly and two others died on way to the hospital, the report said.

The victims, who were returning home from a market, boarded the truck for an inexpensive ride, a common practice in this impoverished South Asian nation, according to the report. It said police were looking for the truck's driver, who fled after the accident.

Police officials were not immediately available for comment. Fatal road accidents, blamed on unskilled driving, faulty vehicles and lax rules, kill about 4,000 people each year in Bangladesh.