Staff Reporter :
At least 25 people went missing as three anchored launches capsized in Padma river due to sudden erosion of Chairman Ghat in Nariya upazila of Shariatpur district on Monday.
The launches, MV Mouchak, MV Mahanagar and Nariya 2, capsized around 5:30am, said Shariatpur Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Mohammad Ehsan.
He said four launches were anchored in the ghat when a portion of a Char eroded into the river. As a result, three launches sank.
“Twenty-five people have gone missing following the incident. We have started the rescue operation,” added the ASP Ehsan.
He further said, efforts are underway to locate the sunken launches.
Identities of the missing people including the launch staff and passengers were not known immediately, reports our correspondent from Madaripur quoting police and locals.
Four probe bodies have been formed by this time.
Soon after the launches capsized, three persons were rescued. They are Sarwar, a cabin boy of another launch named Sureshwar-2 from Hailsar village, Mohammad Ali, a passenger, and Noor Islam, a cook from Lonsing village.
The rescued three were admitted to Mulfatganj Upazila Health Complex.
The erosion devoured 30 percent of the riverbank in the ghat area, locals said.
Sohag Mia, an eyewitness of the accident said, “The launches capsized in front of me. There were 50 to 60 people in the launches.”
Mohammad Ali, a passenger of Mouchak-2 launch, said, although he managed to get to the shore, his wife, mother-in-law and five-day-old daughter remained missing.
They were coming from Dhaka.
Locals said another launch-MV Sureshwar 2, which was also anchored at the ghat drifted away by strong waves of the river.
At least 25 people went missing as three anchored launches capsized in Padma river due to sudden erosion of Chairman Ghat in Nariya upazila of Shariatpur district on Monday.
The launches, MV Mouchak, MV Mahanagar and Nariya 2, capsized around 5:30am, said Shariatpur Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Mohammad Ehsan.
He said four launches were anchored in the ghat when a portion of a Char eroded into the river. As a result, three launches sank.
“Twenty-five people have gone missing following the incident. We have started the rescue operation,” added the ASP Ehsan.
He further said, efforts are underway to locate the sunken launches.
Identities of the missing people including the launch staff and passengers were not known immediately, reports our correspondent from Madaripur quoting police and locals.
Four probe bodies have been formed by this time.
Soon after the launches capsized, three persons were rescued. They are Sarwar, a cabin boy of another launch named Sureshwar-2 from Hailsar village, Mohammad Ali, a passenger, and Noor Islam, a cook from Lonsing village.
The rescued three were admitted to Mulfatganj Upazila Health Complex.
The erosion devoured 30 percent of the riverbank in the ghat area, locals said.
Sohag Mia, an eyewitness of the accident said, “The launches capsized in front of me. There were 50 to 60 people in the launches.”
Mohammad Ali, a passenger of Mouchak-2 launch, said, although he managed to get to the shore, his wife, mother-in-law and five-day-old daughter remained missing.
They were coming from Dhaka.
Locals said another launch-MV Sureshwar 2, which was also anchored at the ghat drifted away by strong waves of the river.
