Dhaka, March 26 At least 16 people have died and several others remain missing after a bus plunged into a river in Bangladesh while attempting to board a transport ferry, officials said.
The accident occurred in the southwestern district of Rajbari at the Dauladia terminal when the bus fell into the Padma River at approximately 5:15 pm on Wednesday, they said.
"The salvage vessel 'Hamza' retrieved the bus using its cranes, and 14 bodies were found inside," fire service official Sohel Rana told reporters at the scene.
He added that divers had earlier recovered the bodies of two women, aged in their late 50s or early 60s, and found the remaining 14 after the bus was salvaged around midnight on Wednesday, after six hours of efforts in difficult weather conditions.
Fire service and coastguard divers continued their search for the missing people with the assistance of the military and police, according to Rana.
Officials said that the bus, which was traveling from Dhaka, was carrying approximately 40 passengers, including several children, and that most were returning to the capital after their Eid holidays.
According to officials in the Rajbari district administration, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman called them to inquire about the salvage efforts and ordered an investigation into the accident.
Police and witnesses earlier said that about 11 passengers managed to swim to shore or were rescued, but most others remained missing.
"When the bus was approaching the ferry from the pontoon, another smaller utility ferry collided with the pontoon. The bus lost control and plunged into the river," said the terminal supervisor, Monir Hossain.
"We witnessed the bus falling into the river, but we were unable to do anything," he added.
Doctors at the Dauladia health complex said that two women were brought in dead, while another woman, who was 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 by standing outside, their relatives were inside the bus when it sank.