At least 8 people died, a shipwreck occurred in Bangladesh | Bangladesh | shipwreck
On the 5th, Bangladeshi police and rescue agencies said that a passenger ship carrying about 50 people capsized after colliding with a sand transport ship in the central part of the country. At least 8 people on board were killed, several were missing, and 34 people have been rescued.
According to Bangladeshi media reports, the accident occurred on a tributary of the Bodo River, about 40 kilometers south of the capital city of Bangladesh, Dhaka. At around 8:30 pm that evening, a trawler loaded with sand collided with this motorized passenger ship.
According to the Daily Star of Bangladesh, the ship was carrying at least 46 people, mostly picnickers.
Mohammad Asram Khan, the police chief of the Mongganj district near Dhaka, told the media at the scene of the accident that as of 11:30 pm that evening, local residents and rescue personnel from the fire and civil defense departments had found a total of 8 bodies of the victims, including women and children, and the identities of all the victims have not yet been confirmed. In addition, at least 10 injured individuals were sent to different hospitals for treatment.
He said that according to the survivor's description, the passengers on board ended their one-day trip to the Bodo River and encountered an accident on their way home.
After the collision between the two ships, many passengers on the passenger ship managed to swim ashore.
Deutsche Presse-Agentur quoted local fire and civil defense official Kayesh Ahmed as saying that divers had launched operations overnight to search for the whereabouts of at least five passengers. In addition, divers are also working hard to find the specific location of the sunken ship.
The driver of the sand transport ship fled the scene after the accident. The police have detained the ship.
The local administrative department has launched an investigation into the accident. The Chief Executive of Mengxiganjie District, Abu Zafar Ripon, said that a 5-person investigation team is investigating the cause of the accident as required and will submit an investigation report within 3 days.
There are over 200 rivers in Bangladesh, and shipping is the main way for people to travel. Due to lax enforcement of regulations and poor management of river transportation services, as well as the long-term disrepair or serious overloading of many passenger ships, ship accidents occur from time to time.