Watch: Bangladesh Ferry Accident Takes 25 Lives, Several Go Missing
More than 25 individuals were killed, and several dozen went missing after a boat packed with Hindu devotees reportedly sank in Bangladesh on Sunday, a local official mentioned, in what, so far, is the worst waterways mishap to hit the country in over a year.
The dead bodies recovered until now have included eight children and 12 women, reported Jahurul Islam, northern Panchagarh’s district administrator, where the accident occurred.
He clarified that the rescue and search operation for missing individuals is ongoing, adding that the ferry was taking devotees to a Hindu temple for Mahalaya.
Video Credits: DNA India News / YouTube
Islam said that he did not know the number of missing people, but passengers have noted that over 70 individuals were on the boat that reportedly sank in the Karatoya River. An expert committee has been formed to examine the incident, he added.
Police said about 20 individuals were missing as some passengers were rescued or managed to swim ashore.
Hundreds of individuals die every year in ferry accidents in Bangladesh, a low-lying nation that boasts lax safety standards and inland waterways.
About 34 individuals lost their lives in April 2021 after an overcrowded ferry reportedly ran into a collision with a cargo vessel. It eventually sank on the Shitalakhsya River outside Dhaka.
References: Reuters, New York Post
