Three people were killed after five vehicles, including a truck, plunged into the Dhaleshwari River from a ferry in the Fatullah area of Narayanganj Sadar upazila on Saturday night.
The deceased were identified as Md Swadhin, 25, a van driver; Masud, 30, an expatriate in Singapore; and Md Rafiq, 35, a motorcycle rider.
Police and locals said the incident occurred when the ferry carrying vehicles departed from the eastern bank of the river in Fatullah for Baktabali Ghat around 9pm.
When the ferry reached mid‑river, a truck suddenly started and lost control, ramming into two battery‑powered autorickshaws, a motorcycle, and a rickshaw van in front of it. Following this, the ferry’s railing broke, and the vehicles fell into the river, police and locals said.
The bodies of Swadhin and Masud were recovered from the river around 2am on Sunday. Rafiq was rescued but died after being taken to a hospital, according to media reports.
Several passengers managed to swim ashore after the accident.
Upon receiving information, personnel from the River Police, Coast Guard, and Fire Service rushed to the scene and began rescue operations.
Police are investigating how the truck on the ferry started and whether any negligence by the driver contributed to the mechanical failure. The bodies were handed over to the families.
