The accident occurred on Wednesday when the bus lost control while approaching the ferry terminal, overturned and sank nearly 30 feet (9 metres) into the river, according to police and the Fire Service and Civil Defence.

Rescuers recovered 22 bodies from inside the submerged bus, including six men, 11 women and five children, fire service official Talha Bin Zasim said. Two additional women died after being rescued, bringing the confirmed death toll to 24.

Four fire service units and 10 divers were deployed in the search operation, supported by the army, police, coast guard and local authorities.

Officials said more passengers could still be missing as the search continued. The exact number of those on board has not been independently verified.

Bangladesh records hundreds of fatalities each year from road and ferry accidents, often attributed to poor vehicle standards, inadequate infrastructure and lax enforcement of safety regulations.