Bangladesh bus accident: As many as 24 people lost their lives after a bus ferrying 40 persons plunged into the Padma River while attempting to board a ferry in Bangladesh on Wednesday, officials reported on Thursday. The incident transpired at the Daulatdia ferry terminal in Rajbari district, located at a distance of 100 kilometres from Dhaka. The police and fire officials said that the bus lost control while approaching the ferry, turned turtle, and sank nearly 30 feet into the river.

Rescue operations mounted amid fear of missing passengers

The teams pressed into rescue operations confirmed that 22 bodies have been recovered from the submerged vehicle, including six men, 11 women and five children. Later, two more women succumbed after being rescued, taking the death toll to 24, a fire service official named Talha Bin Zasim said. 

Four fire service units and 10 divers were deployed for the rescue operations, who were aided by the Army, Police, Coast Guard and local administration authorities. According to authorities, several passengers are still missing. Meanwhile, the bus was retrieved after a six-hour-long rescue operation, by means of the rescue vessel Hamza. Owing to the rough weather, a portion of the bus became visible only late at night, after which a crane was utilised to pull it from the water body.

Bangladesh bus accident: Ill-fated bus was bound for Dhaka

Officials said that the bus was heading towards Dhaka, and was ferrying passengers returning after Eid holidays. A video of the incident has also been making rounds on social media, which shows the bus nosediving into the river within seconds, as onlookers scream in shock. Some passengers, as seen in the video, managed to escape by swimming, and were assisted by locals who threw ropes and floatation devices for their aid. 

Rajbari authorities order probe

The authorities in Rajbari told the media that they have constituted a high-level investigation committee to ascertain the cause of the accident. Senior officials said that national leadership has sought timely updates on the rescue and salvage operations. Notably, Bangladesh witnesses hundreds of fatalities annually, attributed to road and ferry accidents.

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