A bus carrying about 40 people plunged into a river in central Bangladesh as it was driving onto a ferry, leaving at least 24 people dead, authorities said on Thursday.
The vehicle plunged into the Padma river on Wednesday afternoon in Rajbari district, about 84km from the capital Dhaka, Fire Service and Civil Defence official Dewan Sohel Rana said.
It was going to the capital from the southwestern district of Kushtia as people returned to work after the Islamic festival of Eid-ul-Fitr.
Mr Rana said some of the passengers swam to safety after the accident, but several got trapped.
Four fire service units and 10 divers led the search and rescue operation, supported by the army, police, coast guard, and local authorities. A rescue vessel joined the operation late on Wednesday and lifted the bus, Mr Rana said, and rescuers worked overnight to recover bodies, finding 24 by Thursday morning.
Strong currents and heavy rainfall, however, disrupted the rescue work overnight, Mr Rana said.
The dead included 11 women and five children, another Fire Service and Civil Defence official, Talha Bin Zasim, said.
It was not clear if anyone was still missing.
Hundreds of people die each year in road and ferry accidents in Bangladesh.
