At least 24 people were killed and several others are missing after a bus plunged into the Padma River while attempting to board a ferry at the Dauladia terminal in Rajbari district, officials said.
The crash happened at about 5:15 pm on Wednesday. Officials estimate the Dhaka-bound bus was carrying around 40 passengers, including several children, many returning to the capital after Eid holidays.
Fire service teams recovered 24 bodies. Twenty-two of those were found inside the bus: 11 women, six men and five children. Fire service official Sohel Rana said the salvage vessel Hamza used cranes to retrieve the bus. Divers had earlier recovered two women in their late 50s or early 60s, and the remaining victims were located when the bus was raised around midnight after roughly six hours of recovery efforts amid rough weather.
Fire service and coastguard divers, assisted by military and police personnel, continued searching for missing people. Rajbari district administration officials said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman called for updates on the salvage operation and ordered an investigation.
Police and witnesses said about 11 passengers managed to swim ashore or were rescued, while many others remained unaccounted for. Terminal supervisor Monir Hossain said a smaller utility ferry struck the pontoon as the bus was moving from the pontoon toward the ferry, causing the driver to lose control and the vehicle to plunge into the river. “Right before our eyes, the bus fell into the river, but we could do nothing,” he said.
Doctors at the Dauladia Health Complex reported two women were brought in dead and a female doctor received treatment. Witnesses and officials said several passengers were members of the same family; some survived by standing on the deck as relatives remained inside the sinking bus.
Rescue teams continued their search amid challenging conditions, and authorities have launched an investigation into the circumstances that led to the accident.
