A passenger bus that fell into the Padma river after a two-and-a-half-hour rescue operation has been lifted from the river after losing control at Daulatdia 7th ferry ghat in Goaland upazila of Rajbari.
The accident happened around 9am on Friday (June 5th). However, there were no casualties as all the passengers of the bus were taken off before boarding the ferry.
It is learnt that the bus from Kushtia to Dhaka started its journey at 7am. There were about thirty-eight passengers on the bus. After arriving at the Ferry Ghat, all passengers except the driver and helper got off the bus. The bus then lost control and fell directly into the Padma river from Pontoon.
The rescue operation began immediately after the accident. The bus was rescued from the river at around 11am with the help of the rescue ship Hamza. The bus driver and the driver were rescued alive.
Mohammad Salahuddin, assistant general manager of the BIWTC Daulatdia Ghat office, said there were no passengers on the bus at the time of the accident and no missing was reported so far.
Rajbari deputy commissioner Afroza Parveen said the bus was successfully picked up in the rescue operation and the passengers’ cargo was also recovered. At the end of the examination, the goods will be handed over to the real owners. At the same time, he urged the passengers to follow the rules of getting off the bus while on the ferry and be aware to prevent the transportation of additional passengers on the boat.
An investigation committee has been formed to investigate the cause of the incident. Based on the investigation report, the actual cause of the accident and necessary action will be taken.