Dozens dead in Bangladesh as passenger bus plunges into Padma River

Children among dead after bus carrying 40 passengers, which was attempting to board a ferry, topples into river.

At least 24 people have died in central Bangladesh after a bus plunged into the Padma River.

The bus, which was carrying 40 passengers, lost control on Wednesday as it approached a ferry at Daulatdia in Rajbari district, about 100km (62 miles) from Dhaka, officials said on Thursday.

Rescuers recovered 22 bodies from inside the submerged bus, including five children, 11 women and six men, fire service official Talha Bin Qasim said. Two more women died later, after being rescued, he said.

The overturned bus sank nearly 9 metres (30 feet) into the river, according to emergency workers.

“The bus was waiting to board a ferry when it fell into the river,” Noor Jahan Begum, 35, who witnessed the accident, told the AFP news agency. “Some passengers got out of the bus, but their family members died, trapped inside.”