(Video) Passenger bus plunges into Padma River, Dozens De@d
A bus carrying 40 passengers lost control on Wednesday while approaching a ferry at Daulatdia in the Rajbari district of Bangladesh, approximately 100 km (62 miles) from Dhaka, as reported by officials on Thursday.
Authorities have confirmed that at least 24 individuals have di@d in this tragic incident after the bus plunged into the Padma River. Rescuers have retrieved 22 bodies from within the submerged bus, which includes five children, 11 women, and six men, according to fire service official Talha Bin Qasim. He also mentioned that two additional women succumbed to their injuries later, after being rescued. The overturned bus sank nearly 9 meters (30 feet) into the river, as stated by emergency workers. “The bus was waiting to board a ferry when it fell into the river,” recounted Noor Jahan Begum, 35, a witness to the accident, while speaking to the AFP news agency. “Some passengers managed to exit the bus, but their family members were trapped inside and perished.”
Footage that has been shared online and verified by Al Jazeera depicts the bus tipping over an edge and plunging into the river. Amid the chaos of shouting and screams of disbelief, individuals can be seen participating in the rescue efforts, tossing long scarves to assist passengers in escaping the water as they desperately attempt to swim towards the terminal.
Four fire service units and ten divers spearheaded the search and rescue operations, with assistance from the army, police, coastguard, and local authorities. Officials are concerned that additional passengers may still be unaccounted for.
Each year, hundreds of individuals lose their lives in road and ferry accidents in Bangladesh.
Fatal accidents are relatively frequent in this South Asian country due to inadequate road conditions, poorly maintained vehicles, and reckless driving behaviour. Bangladesh’s Road Safety Foundation reported over 200 fatalities during the recently concluded Eid holidays. In one tragic event, a train collided with a bus, resulting in the deaths of twelve individuals.
The World Health Organisation indicates that while approximately 5,000 traffic-related fatalities are officially recorded annually, it believes the true figures are significantly higher, exceeding 31,500, based on data from 2023.
culled: www.aljazeera.com/news/
