24 killed as bus plunges into river in B’desh

Dhaka: At least 24 people were killed and several others remain missing after a bus plunged into a river in Bangladesh while attempting to board a transport ferry, officials said on Thursday.

The accident occurred in the southwestern district of Rajbari at the Dauladia terminal when the bus fell into the Padma River at about 5.15 pm on Wednesday, officials said.

They estimate that the Dhaka-bound bus was carrying around 40 passengers, including several children, most of whom were returning to the capital after their Eid holidays.

According to local fire service officials, 24 bodies have been recovered.Twenty-two bodies were recovered from inside the bus, including 11 women, six men and five children. “(Salvage vessel) Hamza retrieved the bus with its cranes,” fire service official Sohel Rana said.

He added that the divers earlier recovered bodies of two women in their late 50s or early 60s and found the others as the bus was salvaged at around Wednesday midnight after six hours of efforts amid rough weather. Fire service and coastguard divers continued their search for the missing people with military and police assistance, according to Rana. According to officials, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman called them for updates on the salvage campaign and ordered an investigation.