Khaberni - At least 24 people, including 13 women and 5 children, died from drowning after a passenger bus fell into a major river in central Bangladesh while attempting to board a ferry, according to announcements by the police, fire department, and civil defense in Dhaka.
According to Diwan Sohail Rana, an official in the fire service, the bus fell into the Padma River on Wednesday afternoon in the Rajbari area, about 100 kilometers from the capital Dhaka.
Rana explained that many passengers managed to swim to safety after the accident, while others were trapped inside the bus, which was en route to the capital from the southwestern district of Kushtia, at a time when passengers were returning to their jobs after the Eid al-Fitr holiday.
A fire service official clarified that a rescue ship joined the operations late on Wednesday evening and managed to pull out the bus, and rescue workers continued working throughout the night to recover bodies, with 22 bodies found by Thursday morning. Two women died after being rescued.
He mentioned that strong currents and rain hindered the rescue operations during the night, noting that it was still unclear whether there are any missing persons.
