At least 27 people were killed and more than 60 went missing after a double-decker launch ran into a submerged trawler and sank in the river Meghna in Sarail of Brahmanbaria early Thursday.
Police and locals said that the accident had taken place at around 2:00am when the Sunamganj-bound launch MV Bipasa from Bhairab with more than two hundred passengers hit the submerged sand-laden trawler that had sunk in the river 10 days ago.
After hitting the sunken trawler, MV Bipasa continued to float for more than a thousand meters before sinking about a hundred meters from the shore. Most
of the passengers were sleeping when the accident occurred, survivors said.
Locals found three floating bodies in the morning while fire service and BIWTA rescuers arrived on the spot in the afternoon. A total of 27 bodies, including 15 of women and seven children, were recovered till 9:00pm Thursday.
Rescue vessel Rustam was on its way from Bhairab to join the rescue operation, official sources said adding that it was expected to reach there by 9:00pm.
Hundreds of anxious relatives were waiting on the banks of the river for bodies or news about the fate of their near and dear ones. Most of the victims were came from Narshingdi and Bhairab.
Twenty-four of the victims could be identified till 7:00pm Thursday, local administration sources said.
The deceased were Shyama Begum, 32, wife of Jainal Abedin of Kishoreganj, Chandana, 6, daughter of Sukumar of Kishoreganj, Sufia Begum, 40, wife of Sujat Ali of Kishoreganj, Angura Begum, 35, wife of Selim Mia of Kishoreganj, Tanjina, 1, daughter of Selim Mia of Kishoreganj, Babu, 35, son of Belayet Ali of Netrakona, Sonia, 20, daughter of Selim Mia of Narshingdi, Taslima, 25, wife of Amir Hossain of Sunamganj, Faijunnessa, 60, wife of Khurshed Alam of Sunamganj, Naganta Babu, 50, son of Nagarbasi of Kishoreganj, Kawser, 15, son of Nurul Islam of Kishoreganj, Seema Bibi, 75, wife of Shajahar of Narshingdi, Sajib, 20, son of Amir Hossain of Kishoreganj, Parshuram, 25, son of Shyam Das of Kishoreganj, Elachi Begum, 50, wife of Md Ali of Kishoreganj, Seema, 18, daughter of Azgar Ali of Bhairab, Jahera Khatun, 50, wife of Ataru Mia, of Narshingdi, Naeem, 4, son of Nandu Mia of Narshingdi, Joya Khatun, 50, wife of Shamsul Haque of Kishoreganj, Hajera Begum, 45, wife of Md Ali of Bhairab, Kawsar, 8, son of Din Islam of Sunamganj and Sonia, 35, wife of Rijvi of Netrakona.
Thirteen bodies were handed over to their relatives for burial till 6:30pm.
Sarail police officer-in-charge Jahirul Islam Khan told New Age that the launch was overloaded and many of the passengers managed to swim ashore.
‘A collision with the submerged trawler created a big hole in the hull of the launch and the master tried to take the vessel ashore but it sank just about 100 meters from the river bank,’ he said.
Brahmanbaria deputy commissioner Abdul Mannan said six divers from Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority and Fire Service and Civil Defence were continuing the rescue operation.
He said that the death toll from the accident could rise as several bodies might have been drifted by the current.
He said that the launch was sailing from Bhairab to Sunamganj with more than 100 passengers.
Brahmanbaria additional superintendent of police Faisal Mahmud, however, disputed the claims and said that the launch was carrying more than 200 passengers.
Divers said they had seen sacks in the hull of the sunken launch lying nearly 60 feet under water and feared there might be bodies trapped.
BIWTA has formed a three-member committee led by its chief engineer (marine) Hasan Mahmud Tareq to probe the accident. The committee has been asked to submit its report in seven days.
The last major launch disaster occurred on November 27, 2009 when at least 85 people were killed as the Bhola-bound MV Coco-4 with about 2,000 holidaymakers
sank in the river Tentulia in Lalmohon of Bhola.
News Source:
The New Age