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Goalanda Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer Maruf Hasan said three survivors, including a doctor, received treatment at the facility.

It was unclear until the filing of the report at 2:00am today if any other victim remained missing. Rescue operations were ongoing.

Earlier, quoting a passenger, the fire service said they learned that the bus, from Kushtia’s Kumarkhali upazila, was carrying at least 40 passengers, but they could not confirm how many were inside during the accident.

Accounts of how the bus fell into the river were also sketchy, with some eyewitnesses claiming that it started moving after a wheel chock dislodged.

A widely circulated video clip shows the bus rolled over the guard rails of Pontoon-3 and falling into the river.

Survivor Abdul Aziz said the bus was stationary but started rolling all on a sudden. It fell into the river within seconds.

Md Monir Hossain, transport supervisor at the ferry terminal, said the bus arrived at the pontoon shortly after 5:00pm.

At that time, a ferry carrying vehicles departed for Paturia in Manikganj. Unable to board, the bus waited for the next ferry.

“Right before our eyes, the bus fell into the river, but we could do nothing,” Monir said, adding that the accident happened around 5:15pm.

How or why the bus fell into the river remained unclear.

Locals rescued some of the survivors while the Fire Service and Civil Defence, army, police, Naval Police, and other agencies joined the efforts later. The fire service said divers from Paturia and Aricha terminals were called in.

Hundreds of onlookers, along with relatives of the victims, gathered at the terminal. The family members said most of the victims were returning to Dhaka after spending Eid-ul-Fitr holidays back home.

Survivor Alif, an eight-year-old boy, was on the bus with his mother Josna Begum, 35, as she was returning to her workplace, a garment factory in Savar’s Baipail area.

“When the bus was getting onto the ferry, it suddenly started to fall into the Padma. I was sitting on my mother’s lap. As the bus was sinking into the water, my mother pushed me out through the window. Then I swam up to the river bank. But I still can’t find my mother,” said the boy.

Josna’s mother Saheda Begum, 56, rushed to the spot from her home at Machoghata under Rajbari Sadar upazila after hearing the news.

“I helped my Josna get on the bus. After I reached home, I was talking to her on the phone. At that time, Josna told me that the bus was falling into the Padma. After that, I couldn’t hear anything else,” a tearful Saheda said.

Survivor Aziz was travelling with his pregnant wife Nazmira, 32, son Abdur Rahman, 6, and Nazmira’s aunt Nasrin.

Aziz escaped through a window, but the fate of the others could not be known as of midnight.

“I’ve lost everything. Why have I survived?” Aziz cried.