With one more person died in hospital, the death toll from road accident on Saturday in Bangladesh's Tangail district, about 80 km northwest of capital Dhaka, rose to 18, Tangail Hospital said.

Survivors said that the accident which left 18 dead and over 50 others injured occurred at about 06:45 a.m. local time (0045 GMT) as the driver who was drowsing lost control over his steering. The bus got overturned and fell on rail tracks.

16 people died on the spot and two died in hospital.

The survivors said the passengers were mostly day farm laborers. They were coming from poverty stricken northern Kurigram district for cutting paddy in Dhaka, and other adjacent districts.

The accident is the second serious one within three days in the same district. On April 16, 17 people were killed and 21 others were injured when the bus crashed into a train.

(Xinhua News Agency April 19, 2008)