DHAKA, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) -- Eight people were killed and some 18 others injured when a truck collided with a cargo train when crossing the railway in Bangladesh's northwestern Jamalpur district, about 179 km away from capital Dhaka, early Thursday.

    Chief of police in the district Khondaker Faruk told Xinhua that the accident took place at about 00:15 a.m. local time (GMT 1815) when a sugarcane-laden train headed for a nearby factory collided with a Dhaka-bound truck, leaving four people dead on the spot.

    Faruk said another four people died on their way to hospitals. Out of around 18 injured, he said seven people were seriously injured.

    Now the investigations for the accident is underway. "Primarily it seemed that dense fog might be the reason behind the accident," Faruk said.

    Bangladesh has one of the highest fatality rates for road accidents in the world. According to official statistics, more than 10,000 people are killed in various accidents every year.