A bus carrying about 50 people plunged into a major river in central Bangladesh as it was driving onto a ferry, leaving at least 26 people dead, authorities said Thursday.

The bus plunged into the Padma River on Wednesday afternoon in Rajbari district, about 84 kilometers (52 miles) from the capital, Dhaka, said fire official Dewan Sohel Rana.

Sultana Akhter, local top government administrator, said that at least 26 people were killed in the accident. She said that authorities were handing over the bodies to their families on Thursday.

The bus was traveling to the capital from the southwestern district of Kushtia as people return to work after the Islamic festival of Eid al-Fitr.

Rana said many of the passengers swam to safety after the accident but others got trapped.

A rescue vessel joined the operation late Wednesday and lifted the bus, he said, and rescuers worked overnight to recover bodies. Strong currents and rains disrupted the rescue operations overnight, he said.

It was not clear if there was still anyone missing.

Eleven women and five children were among the dead, according to the Fire Service and Civil Defense Department.

Thousands of people die each year in road accidents in Bangladesh.

(AP)