Gopalganj: The death toll from a road accident where a night-coach plunged into a roadside ditch at Maksudpur upazila in Gopalganj in the early hours of Sunday rises to eight.

Around 29 people were also injured during the accident.

The accident took place near Baraitala area of the upazila on Dhaka-Barisal Highway at about 2:45am.

Identities of the victims could not be known immediately.

The Gopalganj Fire Service and Civil Defence Deputy Assistant Director Jane Alam said a Barisal-bound Sugandha Paribahan bus plunged into a roadside ditch at Baraitela area as its driver lost control over the steering, and left six people dead on spot.

Being informed, Muksudpur police’s Sindiaghat police post’s members, fire fighters of Gopalganj, Faridpur’s Bhanga, and Muksudpur fire services went to the spot and started rescue operation.

The injured were taken to Bhanga Upazila Health Complex. Some of the injured are in critical condition, said the Bhanga Highway police Officer-in-charge (OC) Ezazul Islam.

The OC at about 9:45am said two of the injured, who were admitted to Faridpur Medical College Hospital, died undergoing treatment. 29 others are now admitted to the hospitals.