Dhaka, March 26 – At least eighteen bodies were retrieved after a bus carrying dozens of passengers plunged into the Padma River from a pier at a terminal in Bangladesh's Rajbari district, about 125 km south of Dhaka.
The accident occurred around 5:15 p.m. local time on Wednesday when the bus traveling to Dhaka lost control, overturned, and sank to an estimated depth of 80 feet, according to the Fire Service.
Sultana Akhtar, the Deputy Commissioner and District Magistrate of Rajbari, told Xinhua that there were approximately 40 passengers on the bus.
"So far, the bodies of eighteen people, including 10 women and 2 children, have been recovered," she said.
Officials said that two bodies were initially recovered. Subsequently, they said that the rescue vessel, Hamza, lifted the submerged bus at 11:50 p.m. local time on Wednesday, during which 16 more bodies were found, Xinhua news agency reported.
Officials feared that the death toll might rise, as more bodies are likely to be retrieved with the search and rescue operation still underway.
Fire service and coastguard divers continued their search for the missing people with military and police assistance, according to Rana.
Officials said that they estimated that the bus traveling to Dhaka was carrying approximately 40 passengers, including several children, and that most were returning to the capital after their Eid holidays.
According to local media, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman expressed deep concern over the accident and instructed authorities to make all possible rescue efforts and ensure that the injured receive treatment.
Doctors at the Dauladia health complex said that two women were brought in dead, while another woman, who is also a doctor, received treatment.
According to witnesses and officials, many of the passengers were members of the same family. While several of them survived as they stood outside, their relatives were on the bus when it sank.