Bus that plunged into Padma River at Daulatdia recovered, no casualties

The bus has been lifted from the riverbed hours after the accident

The bus that plunged into the Padma River at the Daulatdia Ferry Terminal in Rajbari has been recovered. No casualties have taken place in the accident.

Around 12pm on Friday, salvage vessel Hamza lifted the bus from the riverbed, said Md Salah Uddin, assistant general manager at Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) Daulatdia office.

Earlier around 9:30am,the SB Paribahan bus, travelling to Dhaka from Kushtia, veered out of control after boarding a ferry and rolled into the river from pontoon No.7.

The bus entered the pontoon through the convention pocket of ferry Kabari before breaking through a ramp on the opposite side and falling into the river.

The bus carried no passengers as before it was allowed onto the ferry, local administration had instructed that all passengers be offloaded.

The driver and his assistant were rescued and sent to hospital.

Salah Uddin said the salvage vessel and divers began operations to recover the bus immediately after the accident.

The empty vehicle was later lifted from the river.

On Mar 25, a Souhardya Paribahan bus travelling to Dhaka from Kumarkhali in Kushtia fell into the river while boarding a ferry from pontoon No. 3 at the same terminal.

As many as 26 bodies were pulled from the river after the incident.