At least 19 dead in passenger boat crash in Bangladesh

By SM Najmus Sakib

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AA) - At least 19 people were killed in a collision between a passenger-packed boat and a sand-laden bulkhead in eastern Bangladesh on Friday evening.

"At least 19 dead bodies were recovered, while a number of passengers of the carrying vessel were still missing. Many people, mostly women and children, of the passenger-carrying boat were rescued with the help of locals, while some others managed to reach land and escape drowning," the deputy commissioner of the district, Hayat Ud Dowlah Khan, confirmed to Anadolu Agency.

The ill-fated boat was carrying over 100 passengers, he said, adding that authorities would only be able to confirm the number of those missing after the search and rescue operations concluded.

He said that a three-member committee had already been formed to investigate the incident, while the government will provide compensation to the victim's families.

The incident happened on the transboundary Titas River in the Brahmanbaria​​​​​​​ district. The passenger-packed vessel had reached a marsh that connected to the waterway when it hit another boat at the entry point.

Subsequently, the passenger boat lost control, colliding with two cargo vessels coming from the opposite direction, local media reported, citing survivors and eyewitnesses.

Locals, fire services, and divers have started conducting rescue operations. District administration and police officials are also present on site, Khan added.

The South Asian delta is a riverine region crisscrossed by hundreds of rivers. Thousands of people, mostly from the country's south, use the waterways as a connection to the capital Dhaka and other districts.

Seasonal natural calamities, such as storms and cyclones, as well as unfit or overloaded vessels and unskilled drivers are among the main causes of such accidents.