The death toll from a passenger bus plunging into the Padma River at Daulatdia ferry ghat has risen to 26.
According to officials, 24 bodies were recovered from the bus, including eight men, 11 women and five children (four boys and one girl).
In total, 26 bodies have been recovered so far — 23 by the Fire Service and Civil Defence, two by local residents (later declared dead at hospital), and one by a navy diver.
The sunken bus was lifted from the river around 12:30am on early Thursday using the salvage vessel Hamza. Until the bus was retrieved, 16 bodies had been recovered. Another seven were found between midnight and 8am, bringing the total to 23.
All bodies have been handed over to their families.
Relatives of the missing have been seen wailing at the ferry ghat.
Mohammad Monir Hossain, transport supervisor at the Daulatdia ferry terminal, said the Shouharda Paribahan passenger bus arrived at Ghat No 3 shortly after 5pm. A ferry carrying vehicles had just departed for Paturia in Manikganj, and the bus was waiting for the next one.
“At around 5:15pm, a small utility ferry named Hasna Hena crashed into the pontoon with force. The impact caused the bus to lose control and fall into the Padma River,” he said.
Police, army personnel, naval police, and Fire Service teams are working at the scene. The district administration, including the deputy commissioner, superintendent of police, and the Goaland upazila nirbahi officer, is also present.
