At least 25 people were killed and 60 others injured in a head-on collision between two passenger buses at Rajendrapur, about 40 kms south of Bangladesh's capital Dhaka on Thursday.

Police said a Dhaka-bound state-owned bus collided with another bus in the opposite direction while overtaking a three-wheeler auto-rickshaw at about 10:40 a.m. local time, killing 25 passengers from both the vehicles on the spot and injuring 60 others.

Police sergeant Arman confirmed the casualty figure and said injured passengers were admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital and Mitford Hospital.

Witnesses said the death toll may go up as some injured passengers were in a critical condition.

Bangladesh has one of the highest fatality rates for road accidents, which kill more than 10,000 people every year.

(Xinhua News Agency January 17, 2008)