UNB, Barisal :
At least five people including three women were killed and five others injured in a collision between a passenger launch and a steamer in the Kirtankhola River
at Charbaria in Sadar upazila early Monday. The deceased could not be identified yet. Mohammad Mostafizur Rahman, deputy director (security and traffic) of BIWTA, said the accident took place when Dhaka-bound launch ‘Surovi-7’ collided with Barisal-bound BIWTC steamer ‘PS Masud’ carrying about 700 passengers in the middle of the river at around 4.50am, leaving five passengers of steamer dead on the spot. Five more passengers were also injured in the incident.
The injured were admitted to Barisal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital.
Seven firefighting units from Barisal fire station rushed to the spot and rescued the passengers trapped in the steamer. The rescued passengers later reached their destination by steamer ‘MV Madhumati’. The salvaged steamer was dragged to Barisal river port through tug vessel ‘Durbar’.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) temporally cancelled the route permission of ‘Surovi-7’ following the accident, its chairman Commodore Mohammad Mozammel Haque told UNB.
Besides, Department of Shipping formed a five-member probe body, headed by its chief engineer and ship surveyor Nazmul Haque, to investigate the incident, Shipping Ministry’s Public Relations Officer M Jahangir Alam told UNB. The committee was asked to submit the report within 10 working days, he said.
At least five people including three women were killed and five others injured in a collision between a passenger launch and a steamer in the Kirtankhola River
at Charbaria in Sadar upazila early Monday. The deceased could not be identified yet. Mohammad Mostafizur Rahman, deputy director (security and traffic) of BIWTA, said the accident took place when Dhaka-bound launch ‘Surovi-7’ collided with Barisal-bound BIWTC steamer ‘PS Masud’ carrying about 700 passengers in the middle of the river at around 4.50am, leaving five passengers of steamer dead on the spot. Five more passengers were also injured in the incident.
The injured were admitted to Barisal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital.
Seven firefighting units from Barisal fire station rushed to the spot and rescued the passengers trapped in the steamer. The rescued passengers later reached their destination by steamer ‘MV Madhumati’. The salvaged steamer was dragged to Barisal river port through tug vessel ‘Durbar’.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) temporally cancelled the route permission of ‘Surovi-7’ following the accident, its chairman Commodore Mohammad Mozammel Haque told UNB.
Besides, Department of Shipping formed a five-member probe body, headed by its chief engineer and ship surveyor Nazmul Haque, to investigate the incident, Shipping Ministry’s Public Relations Officer M Jahangir Alam told UNB. The committee was asked to submit the report within 10 working days, he said.
