Nineteen people died and 34 were injured in Nigeria's northern Kaduna state after a speeding bus veered off the road when one of its tyres burst, an official said Monday.

The accident occurred on Sunday evening on a highway linking Kaduna to the Nigerian capital Abuja.

"A total of 53 people were involved in the crash; 16 of these died on the spot, with three others later confirmed dead," said Kaduna state internal affairs commissioner Samuel Aruwan in a statement.  

He said 34 people were seriously injured and in hospital.

Aruwan said the crash "was caused by a combination of speeding and an exploding tyre, leading to a loss of control which caused the vehicle to veer into the bush."

He said the passengers had boarded the truck in the commercial hub of Lagos and were heading to northern city of Kano.

Accidents are common on Nigerian roads, typically caused by reckless driving, speeding, over-loading or lack of maintenance.

Sixteen people were killed in August last year when a truck lost control in heavy rain and rammed into four vehicles carrying supporters of Zamfara state governor Bello Matawalle.