Bus plunges into Bangladesh's Padma River, 26 dead, at least 6 missing

Divers recovered 26 dead bodies and continued searching for at least six more missing people after a passenger bus fell into Bangladesh's Padma River, fire services said Thursday. About 40 passengers on board the bus plunged into the large Padma River on Wednesday while it was boarding a ferry at the Daulatdia ferry terminal in the town of Goalanda in the central Rajbari district.

Death toll rises

Seven more bodies were recovered from the bus, bringing the death toll to 25, said the fire service. Among the bodies recovered from the bus are five children and 13 women. Divers also rescued eight alive, it said.

Rescue operation

Fire service personnel pulled the bus out with the help of the rescue ship Hamza about six hours after it sank. However, the rescue work was hampered by rain. The bus sank to a depth of over 60 feet while people were returning to the capital Dhaka after the seven-day Muslim Eid-ul-Fitr holiday.

Investigation

Several units of divers are still doing rescue operations. Two groups have been formed to investigate the incident. The ferry terminal at Daulatdia is one of Bangladesh's busiest crossing points on the Padma River, connecting central and southwestern regions to the capital.