Dhaka: At least 18 people were killed after a passenger bus carrying about 40 people plunged into the Padma River in central Bangladesh while attempting to board a ferry. Local authorities reported that the accident occurred after the driver lost control of the bus as it approached the ferry. The bus was traveling from Kushtia to Dhaka.

According to Qatar News Agency, rescue teams managed to recover the bus and continued the search despite difficult weather conditions. Bodies, including those of women and children, were recovered Thursday morning, while the fate of some passengers remains unknown. Officials fear that others may still be missing. Hundreds of people die every year in road and ferry accidents in Bangladesh.