Tragedy of the Bangladesh bus that sank with 40 (video)

24 people, including young children, have died after a passenger bus overturned into the Padma River in Bangladesh. The accident occurred last Wednesday in the Daulatdia area of Rajbari district, about 100 kilometers (62 miles) from the capital Dhaka.

Authorities confirmed on Thursday that the tragedy occurred when the driver lost control of the bus, carrying 40 passengers, while attempting to board a ferry.

Rescue teams managed to recover 22 bodies trapped inside the bus, which sank into the approximately 30-foot (9-meter) deep water. Fire service official Talha Bin Qasim stated that among the deceased were five young children, eleven women, and six men. He further added that two more women died after being rescued. 35-year-old Noor Jahan Begum, an eyewitness to the incident, said that the bus suddenly rolled into the river while waiting to board a ferry, and family members of some passengers who managed to escape were trapped inside the vehicle and died.

Videos of the accident are circulating online, clearly showing the bus overturning into the river and shocked people screaming and throwing long scarves into the river to save passengers. Four fire service units and ten divers have been deployed for search and rescue operations with the assistance of the army, police, coast guard, and local authorities. However, officials suspect that more passengers are still missing.

Such fatal accidents are common in Bangladesh due to poor road systems, poorly maintained vehicles, and reckless driving. According to the country's Road Safety Foundation, over 200 deaths due to road accidents were reported during the recently concluded Eid holiday season alone, with 12 people dying in one incident when a train collided with a bus. According to World Health Organization reports for 2023, while approximately 5,000 traffic accident deaths are officially reported annually in the country, the actual number of fatalities is estimated to exceed 31,500.

Watch the video related to this incident ›