18 bodies recovered after bus plunges into Bangladesh s Padma River

Eighteen bodies have been found after a passenger bus, carrying around 50 people, fell into the Padma River in Bangladesh on Wednesday while it was trying to board a ferry, according to officials. The incident took place at the Daulatdia ferry terminal in Goalanda, located in the Rajbari district. Authorities have not yet confirmed the total number of passengers on the bus or how many are still missing, but local news reports suggest that at least 50 people were onboard. The Fire Service Department reported that they recovered 16 additional bodies from the bus, while locals had already found two. Among the deceased are two children and ten women. Fire department workers retrieved the bus with the help of the rescue ship Hamza approximately six hours after it sank. Rain made the rescue efforts difficult. The bus, which was heading to Dhaka, lost control while boarding the ferry from Rajbari and sank to a depth of over 80 feet in the river. Several dive teams continue to search for survivors. According to the fire department, residents and some passengers indicate that five to seven people managed to escape before the bus submerged.