Nineteen dead as truck overturns in India's Gujarat

At least 19 people were killed when a cement-laden truck in which they were travelling overturned Saturday in India's western state of Gujarat, police said.

The victims were mostly labourers travelling on the truck along with the bags of cement, local police official Gunvant Mevaya said. The group of 25 included men, women and children.

The incident happened in the early hours of Saturday on the highway between the port town of Bhavnagar and Gujarat's main city, Ahmedabad.

Preliminary reports indicated that the driver lost control of the vehicle while negotiating a turn at high speed. "Some of the victims were crushed under the cement bags," Mevaya said.

Six people were injured and have been admitted to local hospitals. The driver of the vehicle fled after the accident.

Tens of thousands of people are killed in road accidents in India every year. These are mostly blamed on poorly maintained roads and vehicles or negligent driving.