News Desk :
At least 19 people died and 50 remain missing after a trawler carrying them capsized in Laishka Beel at Deodona area of Brahmanbaria’s Bijoynagar upazila on Friday evening.
The incident took place at 5:45pm, Brahmanbaria Sadar Model police station Officer in-Charge (OC) Md Emranul Islam told The media.
Identities of the deceased could not be known immediately.
“We have so far recovered 19 bodies and 50 passengers are still missing. Our search operation for the missing persons is on,” Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Brahmanbaria Hayat-Ud-Doula Khan told the media at around 9:35pm.
Locals and witnesses said the trawler left Champaknagar Ghat in Bijoynagar upazila at around 5:30pm with around 120 passengers on board.
When the trawler reached Laishka Beel, which is connected to Titas river, it collided with a small boat. The trawler’s driver tied to save the boat and lost control of the vessel.
At the same time, two cargo vessels were coming from the opposite direction.
Both the cargo vessels hit the trawler that capsized quickly, said survivors and witnesses.
“I was grazing cattle on the bank of the beel. Suddenly, I heard a loud noise and saw the cargo vessels hitting the passenger trawler. I saw the trawler sinking quickly,” said Nurul Amin, an eye witness.
Rafiq Mia, one of the rescued passengers, said the boat was coming from Champaknagar in Bijoynagar upazila with passengers to Ananda Bazar Ghat in Brahmanbaria town.
At one point, the sand-laden trawler coming from the opposite direction collided head-on, resulting in the boat being overturned and all passengers falling into the river.
Police and fire service personnel rushed to the spot upon receiving information and started the rescue operation.
Hearing the news, hundreds of people thronged the spot and started rescue efforts along with divers.
Relatives and family members of missing people were seen desperately looking for their near and dear ones.
Visiting the spot, the DC announced Tk 20,000 for each of the deceased’s families.
