Dhaka, Mar 26: At least 23 people were killed and several others injured after a passenger bus fell into the Padma River in Bangladesh, officials said.
Police Inspector Russel Mollah said rescue operations were temporarily halted due to darkness and will resume in daylight. “We have recovered 23 bodies so far. Some passengers are still missing, while a few managed to survive. Rescue efforts involving the fire service, navy, police, and other agencies are ongoing,” he said.
The accident occurred around 5:00 pm when the bus, carrying around 40 passengers, fell into the river from a ferry near terminal number 3 at Daulatdia. The bus was traveling from Rajbari to Dhaka at the time.
Rescue teams, including divers and fire service personnel, launched a massive operation. According to reports, the submerged bus was pulled out of the river nearly six hours later with the help of rescue ship Hamza.
Witnesses said the bus had picked up passengers from multiple stops and was carrying around 50 people. Around 11:15 pm, parts of the vehicle became visible, and by 11:30 pm, it was fully lifted using a crane.
Emotional scenes were witnessed at the Daulatdia ferry terminal, where relatives of passengers gathered anxiously as rescue teams searched for survivors.
One survivor said he managed to swim to safety but lost his wife and child as the bus sank. Another survivor, Abdul Azizul, who boarded the bus from Kalukhali in Rajbari, also swam ashore, while his family remains missing. (Agency)
