Twenty-four dead in Bangladesh after passenger bus plunges into Padma River

At least 24 people are confirmed dead after a passenger bus plunged into the Padma River in central Bangladesh during a ferry boarding attempt on Wednesday afternoon. The accident occurred at the Daulatdia terminal in Rajbari district, located approximately 100 kilometers from the capital, Dhaka.

The vehicle was carrying about 50 passengers who were returning to work following the Eid al-Fitr holidays. Most of the travelers were heading toward Dhaka from the southwestern district of Kushtia when the driver lost control on the pontoon. Witnesses reported that the bus overturned and sank nearly nine meters into the murky river waters.

Emergency responders and specialized divers recovered 22 bodies from the submerged wreckage after a salvage vessel, the Hamza, successfully lifted the bus using cranes. Two additional victims, both women, died at a local health complex shortly after being rescued from the site. Among the deceased are ten women and two children, according to figures released by the Fire Service and Civil Defense Department.

Terminal supervisor Monir Hossain noted that a smaller utility ferry reportedly struck the pontoon just as the bus was moving toward the vessel, causing the driver to lose steering control. While approximately 11 passengers managed to swim to the shore or were pulled from the water by the locals, several others remained trapped inside the vehicle as it vanished beneath the surface.

Rescue operations, led by four fire service units and ten divers, were bolstered by personnel from the army, police, and coast guard. The efforts faced significant disruptions overnight due to heavy rainfall and strong river currents. Authorities have expressed concern that more passengers could still be missing in the river, as the exact number of people on board at the time of the plunge remains unverified.

The government has since established a five-member investigative committee to examine the technical circumstances of the incident and determine if infrastructure or procedural failures contributed to the tragedy. Road and ferry accidents claim hundreds of lives annually in Bangladesh, often attributed to overcrowding, poor vehicle maintenance, and lax safety standards at transit points.

Relief efforts continued through Thursday at Rajbari Government Hospital, where relatives gathered to identify the victims. Local medical officials confirmed that most of those recovered from the bus had drowned within minutes of the vehicle hitting the water.