The tragedy occurred in the Panchagarh district in the far north of the country. Entire families headed to a temple for the Mahalaya festival. The accident had been caused by the excess of passengers on the boats. Every year there are hundreds of victims of shipwrecks in the rivers of Bangladesh.
Dhaka () – At least 31 people, mostly Hindu pilgrims, drowned yesterday when a boat with more than 100 passengers on board capsized in the Karatoya River, in the Boda sub-district, Panchagarh, in the far north of Bangladesh. Most of them were on their way to celebrate the Hindu religious festival of Mahalaya.
The pilgrims – recounted Mukol Chandra Roy, a survivor – were on their way with their families to the temple that faces the Karatoya River. The boat was overloaded and began to rock in the middle of the river. The driver tried to return to shore, but turned around. Among the victims there are 9 children and 13 women.
Roy said that he, his wife Joyanti Rani and his brother’s son, Adito Roy, were able to swim to safety, but most did not make it back. “Many Hindu worshipers died before our eyes,” he explained.
Rescue operations were carried out by police and firefighters. About 20 people were treated at the hospital complex in the Boda sub-district. However, the authorities stated that there are still dozens of people missing.
“We have been on duty at Aulia Ghat since morning – said Matiar Rahman, a policeman serving in the area -. We had prohibited boatmen from crossing the river with passengers. But no one listened to us. People don’t listen to us. They boarded the ship as soon as they could set sail. And so the accident happened.”
Zahurul Islam – Deputy Commissioner of Panchagarh who was at the scene – confirmed to that the number of passengers exceeded the capacity of the ship. Every year, hundreds of people die in ferry and boat accidents in Bangladesh, a country that has great waterways but lax safety standards.
Add Comment