At least 24 people on Wednesday, March 25, were killed, and several others remain missing after a bus plunged into a river in Bangladesh while attempting to board a transport ferry.
The accident occurred at about 5:15 p.m. at the Dauladia terminal in Rajbari district, when the bus fell into the Padma River.
Officials said the Dhaka-bound bus was carrying around 40 passengers, including several children, most of whom were returning to the capital after the Eid-el-Fitr holidays.
Local fire service official, Sohel Rana, confirmed that 24 bodies have been recovered so far.
Of these, 22 were found inside the bus, including 11 women, six men, and five children.
Rana said the salvage vessel Hamza retrieved the bus using cranes after about six hours of effort amid rough weather conditions.
He added that divers had earlier recovered the bodies of two women believed to be in their late 50s or early 60s before the remaining victims were found during the recovery operation.
Search and rescue operations are ongoing, with fire service and coastguard divers working alongside military and police personnel to locate those still missing.
About 11 passengers managed to swim to safety or were rescued, while many others remain unaccounted for.
According to Monir Hossain, the terminal supervisor, the bus lost control and plunged into the river after a smaller utility ferry struck the pontoon as the vehicle was approaching the main ferry.
“Right before our eyes, the bus fell into the river, but we could do nothing,” he said.
Witnesses and officials noted that many of the passengers were from the same family.
While some survived because they were standing outside the bus, several of their relatives were inside when it sank.
Comments