3 dead, 1 missing as passenger ferry capsizes in Bangladesh

By Md. Kamruzzaman

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AA) - At least three passengers were killed and one went missing after a passenger ferry capsized in a southern river in Bangladesh on early Wednesday, an official said.

The 28-meter-long (92 feet) wooden water vessel was carrying 45 people, including three crew members, when it collided with a big passenger ferry.

The primary assessment suggested that foggy weather, heavy flow of water in the river, and weakness of drivers of both the vessels were the causes of the tragic accident, Khorshed Alam, station officer of Naval Fire Service in the south-central district of Barishal, told Anadolu Agency.

He, however, added that the exact cause of the accident would be determined after an investigation.

Alam said 41 passengers were rescued by boats fishing nearby, adding they were trying to identify the deceased.

According to the records of the Shipping Department of Bangladesh, more than 550 passenger ships capsized between 1991 and 2020, killing over 3,600 people and leaving nearly 500 people missing.

Seasonal natural calamities such as storms and cyclones, foggy weather in winter, lack of vessel fitness, unskilled drivers, and overloading have been identified as the main causes of those accidents.

The South Asian delta nation of nearly 170 million people is a riverine country that has been crisscrossed by above 500 rivers.

Tens of thousands of passengers, mostly from the country’s 19 southern coastal districts, use the waterways to connect with the capital Dhaka.

Almost every year, fatal accidents on waterways occur, claiming lives and causing damages to property.

One of the worst maritime accidents in the country's recent history was reported in 2014 in which at least 100 people were killed or missing when an overloaded ferry carrying over 300 passengers capsized.