Sri Lanka, March 26 -- 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 auth...