DAULATDIA, Bangladesh — At least 24 people have been killed after a passenger bus carrying around 40 people plunged into the Padma River while attempting to board a ferry in central Bangladesh, officials said on Thursday.
The accident occurred on Wednesday at Daulatdia in the Rajbari district, about 100 kilometres (62 miles) from the capital Dhaka, when the bus reportedly lost control while approaching the ferry terminal.
According to police, the Fire Service, and Civil Defence officials, the vehicle overturned and sank nearly 30 feet into the river. Rescue teams recovered 22 bodies from inside the submerged bus, including six men, 11 women, and five children. Fire Service official Talha Bin Zasim confirmed that the death toll later rose to 24 after two injured passengers died following rescue operations.
Search and recovery efforts continued as emergency teams worked at the site to locate any remaining missing passengers. The Padma River ferry crossing is one of the busiest transport routes in Bangladesh, frequently used by passengers and vehicles traveling between southern districts and Dhaka.
Road and waterway accidents are relatively common in Bangladesh due to overcrowding, weak safety enforcement, and aging transport infrastructure. Authorities have launched investigations into the cause of the accident, focusing on whether mechanical failure or driver error led to the crash.
Bangladesh has one of the highest rates of road and ferry-related accidents in South Asia. Similar incidents in recent years have raised concerns about transport safety regulations and emergency response capacity.
