At least 24 people have died after a passenger bus plunged into the Padma River while attempting to board a ferry in Bangladesh, officials confirmed on Thursday. The accident happened on Wednesday at the Daulatdia ferry terminal in Rajbari district, around 100 km (62 miles) from Dhaka.

The bus, carrying around 40 passengers returning from the week-long Eid-ul-Fitr holiday, lost control while approaching the ferry and sank nearly 9 metres (30 feet) into the river.

Rescue teams recovered 22 bodies from inside the submerged vehicle, including six men, 11 women, and five children, Fire Service official Talha Bin Zasim said. Two more women later died after being rescued, bringing the confirmed death toll to 24.

The bus was pulled from the river with the help of the rescue ship Hamza, about six hours after the accident. Rain hampered recovery efforts, while some passengers - estimated between five and seven - managed to escape before the vehicle sank.

Rescue operations are ongoing, with four fire service units, ten divers, the army, police, coast guard, and local authorities involved in the search. Officials fear more passengers may still be missing.

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Bangladesh has a long history of fatal road and ferry accidents, with hundreds of deaths reported each year. Only days earlier, a bus-train collision in Comilla killed 12 people and injured 26 others, highlighting ongoing safety challenges on the country’s transport networks.

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