Padma bus tragedy: Death toll rises to 26

The death toll from the Padma River bus tragedy has risen to 26 with Rajbari district alone grieving the loss of 18 lives in the incident, triggering scenes of heartbreak.

According to the Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD) Directorate, at least 26 bodies have been recovered after “Showhardo Paribahan” bus plunged into the river from a pontoon at Daulatdia Ferryghat in Goalanda upazila of Rajbari on Wednesday afternoon.

Rescue officials said among the deceased were 11 women, eight children and seven men. At least 18 victims were residents of Rajbari, while others hailed from Kushtia, Jhenaidah, Dinajpur, Gopalganj and Dhaka.

Among the victims were three members of a family from Bhabanipur in Rajbari – Ahnaf Tahmid Khan Raiyan, a master’s student at Jahangirnagar University, his mother Rehena Akhter, 59, and nephew Tajbid Bin Mossbir. Ahnaf had boarded the bus with his mother, elder sister and nephew; only his elder sister survived.

FSCD acting media officer Talha Bin Jasim said 26 bodies were recovered during rescue operation, which was paused around 11:30am.

Of the bodies, firefighters retrieved 23 while Navy drivers pulled one. Two of the passengers, who were rescued alive after the accident, were declared dead at hospital, he said.

“There were around 50 passengers on the 40-seat bus,” Jasim said, adding that no official missing complaints had yet been filed, though concerns remain that more people could still be unaccounted for.

Goalanda Upazila Nirbahi Officer Sathi Das said around 12:30pm that 23 bodies had been handed over to families.

The rescue operation involved five fire service units and 15 divers, working alongside the police, Army, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority and Bangladesh Coast Guard members and local administration, said Rajbari FSCD Deputy Director Dewan Sohel Rana.

He noted that the operation was temporarily paused but will resume if reports of missing persons emerge.

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State Minister for Shipping Md Rajib Ahsan around 1am announced financial assistance of Tk25,000 for each deceased’s family and Tk15,000 for the injured.

Meanwhile, the district administration has formed a five-member high-level investigation committee, led by the additional district magistrate, to probe the incident. The committee has been asked to submit its report within three working days.

The accident occurred around 5:15pm on Wednesday when the Dhaka-bound bus from Kumarkhali in Kushtia, while waiting in the pontoon for crossing the river, fell into the river after a ferry hit the pontoon.

About six hours later, the bus was lifted from the river by rescue vessel Hamza.

Officials said around 50 passengers, including the driver and helper, were on board the bus at the time of the accident.

The reporter can be reached at: [email protected]