At least 14 people died and about 35 others remained missing when a launch carrying nearly 80 passengers capsized on Wednesday in the Shandhya River in Banaripara upazila, some 12 kilometres from the Barisal district town, police said.
“I managed to swim ashore but my husband along with 50 other passengers have remained missing. I fear all of them have died. It was not a launch at all but a trawler,” Aleya Begum, a survivor told The New Nation.
She added it was raining when the launch sank in the river. “As it was raining, most of the windows of the vessel were shut. As a result, most of the passengers got trapped inside the deck and they might have died,” Aleya said as wailing. The deceased were identified as Saleha Begum, 60, Kohinur Bagum, 60, Sagar Mir, 25, Shukhen Mallik, 40, Hira Begum, 26, Mozammel Mollah, 60, Rabeya Khatun, 45, Rehana Begum, 30, Firoza Begum, 50, Joynal Hawladar,60, Razzak, 60, Shanta, 10, Mohamma Sattar, 25, and Shahana Begum.
All the victims were residents of Swarupkathi and Banaripara areas and they went to visit their relatives’ houses during the Eid holidays.
The death toll may rise, as many passengers have remained missing.
When contacted, SM Akhteruzzaman, Superintendent of Police of Barisal district told The New Nation on Wednesday afternoon that at least 14 bodies were recovered from the river near the spot between 2pm and 5pm.
He said the deceased included seven men, six women and a child. At least 35 passengers were still missing till 5pm when the report was filed yesterday.
“The launch, ‘ML Oishi’, sank in the river around 12:15pm while it was heading towards Uzirpur from Banaripara upazila. When the vessel reached Dasherhaat launch terminal and anchored there, a large chunk of earth, caused by erosion, fell on it. Being panicked, as soon as the passengers started to get down hurriedly, the launch sank in the river,” the police super, who was on the spot, to supervise the rescue operation said.
He added that local people rescued some passengers while 15 others managed to swim ashore.
“Besides, about 35 passengers of the launch could not be traced yet after the incident,” SM Akhteruzzaman said, adding rescue operations by police, coast guard personnel, fire fighters as well as local people were still underway till filing of this report yesterday evening.
When contacted, Ziaul Hasan, Officer-in-Charge of Banaripara Police Station said that ML Oishi with around 80 people on board capsized at Dasherhaat point when its passengers started getting down after it anchored there around 12:15pm.
He said the Uzirpur-bound launch ‘ML Oishi’ from Banaripara reached Dasherhat Launch Terminal around 11:15am.
Locals started the rescue operation soon after the launch sank at Dasherhaat terminal in the Shandhya River. Later, divers from Fire Service and Bangladesh Coast Guard joined the rescue operation.
However, there was no official confirmation as to how many passengers were aboard the launch but survivors said it was carrying at least 80 people in excess of licensed capacity.
Faruk Hossain Sikder, Assistant Director of Fire Service, said the rescue operation is being hampered due to rough weather and strong currents in the river.
“The locals recovered the body of Kohinur from the river soon after the accident and rescued Saleha, who later died at the upazila health complex,” he said.
Family members of the dead and missing passengers gathered on the riverbanks and wept as they came to know that their loved ones either died or remained missing.
When the bodies were recovered, a shadow of shock engulfed the whole area.
A nine-member probe committee headed by Zakir Hossain, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Barisal, was formed to investigate the incident.
Meanwhile, Gazi Mohammad Saifuzzaman, Deputy Commissioner of Barisal, announced Tk 10,000 as compensation for each of the victim’s family.
