Dhaka, 26 March (H.S.):

At least 16 people have died and several others remain missing after a Dhaka‑bound bus plunged into the Padma River in southern Bangladesh while attempting to board a transport ferry on Wednesday afternoon, officials said. Rescue teams are continuing to search the river for survivors and additional bodies as families gather anxiously at the terminal and nearby medical facilities.

The accident occurred at the Dauladia terminal in Rajbari district at around 5.15 pm on Wednesday, when the overloaded passenger bus lost control while moving onto the pontoon and toppled into the fast‑flowing river.

According to local river police and fire service officials, the bus was carrying around 40 to 50 passengers, including several children and women, many of whom were returning to the capital after spending their Eid holidays in rural areas.

Rescue ship “Hamza” arrived at the site and, after roughly six hours of operations in rough water, managed to lift the submerged bus using on‑board cranes. Fire service officer Sohel Rana said that divers first recovered the bodies of two older women from the river and later found 14 more bodies inside the vehicle once it was pulled out shortly before midnight on Wednesday.

Coastguard and fire service divers, backed by military and police units, are still scanning the riverbed and nearby stretches of the Padma for more victims. Local doctors at the Dauladia health complex reported that two women were brought in dead, while another woman, a practicing physician travelling with her family, is undergoing treatment for injuries.

Terminal supervisor Monir Hossain told reporters that the bus had started its move toward the ferry from the pontoon when a smaller utility ferry struck the pontoon, throwing the larger vehicle off balance. “The bus driver lost control of the steering, and right before our eyes it plunged into the river,” Hossain said. “We could not save most of them.”

District administration officials said around 11 passengers managed to swim ashore or were rescued by bystanders and local boats, while many others remained trapped inside or were swept away by the current. Witnesses described entire families travelling together, with some members standing outside the bus when it fell and watching helplessly as their relatives drowned inside.

The country’s prime minister has been briefed on the incident and has ordered a thorough investigation into the cause of the accident, including questions about the terminal’s safety protocols and the actual number of passengers on board. Road‑accident and ferry‑safety experts have warned that overloaded buses, aging pontoons and poor enforcement of safety rules at river terminals continue to turn routine crossings into deadly hazards in Bangladesh.

The Padma River crash has once again brought attention to the risks thousands of commuters face every day while relying on river‑ferry networks in one of the most flood‑prone and densely populated river‑delta regions in the world. As the death toll remains fluid and relatives await word of missing loved ones, local authorities are preparing to coordinate follow‑up medical, psychological, and logistical support for those affected.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar