At least 23 people, including women and children, drowned after a passenger bus plunged into River Padma while attempting to board a ferry at Daulatdia terminal in Bangladesh’s Rajbari on Wednesday.
The accident took place around 5.15 pm when the Dhaka-bound bus lost control while moving onto the ferry from the pontoon. According to officials and eyewitnesses, the situation escalated after a smaller utility vessel struck the pontoon, causing the driver to lose control of the steering and the bus to veer off into the river.
Police said the bus was carrying around 40 passengers at the time of the incident. Most were returning to Dhaka after the Eid holidays. Many of the passengers were members of the same family, as per reports.
While around 11 people managed to swim ashore or were rescued by locals soon after the crash, several are still unaccounted for. A river police official said rescue operations were launched immediately, though exact numbers of those rescued or missing were not yet confirmed.
According to a senior police official, divers have so far recovered 23 bodies from the river. Authorities said the bus sank completely within a few hours of the incident, complicating efforts to locate passengers trapped inside. The submerged vehicle was retrieved after an hours-long effort.
Rescue operations are being carried out by fire service divers, with additional teams deployed from nearby terminals and reinforcements sent from Dhaka. A salvage vessel has also been pressed into service to assist in the operation.
Officials said the depth of the river at the accident site is around 30 feet, and strong currents are posing significant challenges to the rescue effort. Authorities have launched an investigation into the incident, while efforts continue to trace the missing passengers.
According to local media, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman expressed deep concern over the accident and instructed authorities to make all possible rescue efforts, and ensure the injured get treatment.
With PTI inputs
