Two Bodies Recovered After Bus With 40 Onboard Plunges Into Bangladesh's Padma River

DHAKA, March 25 (Bernama-Anadolu) -- Divers recovered two bodies Wednesday in central Bangladesh after a passenger bus with at least 40 people onboard drove into the Padma River while it was boarding a ferry, Anadolu Ajansi (AA) reported, citing Channel 24 TV.

The bodies of two women were recovered, while 17 passengers have been rescued by fire service divers.

The accident happened at the Daulatdia ferry terminal in the town of Goalanda in Rajbari.

Authorities, however, have yet to confirm how many passengers were on the bus and how many are missing.

Television stations reported that at least 40 people were on the bus.

The Fire Service Department said the Dhaka-bound bus lost control while boarding a ferry from Rajbari and sank to a depth of 30 feet in the river.

Two units of divers are conducting rescue operations while two other units from Dhaka and Faridpur are on their way to the scene.

The fire department, citing residents and surviving passengers, said five to seven passengers were able to escape before the bus sank.

The Fire Service Department is working to lift the bus with the help of a rescue ship.

The accident came in the wake of the seven-day Muslim Aidilfitri holiday, with millions returning to Dhaka.

At least 12 people were killed and 26 others injured Sunday in a bus-train collision in the southeastern Comilla district.

-- BERNAMA-ANADOLU