At least 22 dead as passenger boat sinks in Bangladesh

At least 22 people have died when a Bangladeshi passenger boat sank with more than 100 on board.

The driver of a cargo vessel suspected of colliding with the boat has been arrested, officials said.

The boat sank on Friday evening in a large body of water in the eastern district of Brahmanbari, 51 miles east of the capital, Dhaka.

No passengers were believed to be missing after nearly 24 hours of search efforts, said Emon Sarker, a duty officer with the district’s fire service and civil defence, who also provided the final death toll.

Initial reports said around 50 passengers were missing, citing local officials and media.

“Maybe many swam to safety. There was no passenger list. It happens here. Today, nobody came to us looking for any missing people,” Mr Sarker said.

Bangladesh is a delta nation where water transport is heavily used to move people and goods. But deadly accidents are common.

Mr Sarker said the sunken boat was still submerged and would be brought to shore on Sunday.

A witness said two cargo vessels hit the boat, which sank quickly, Dhaka-based The Daily Star newspaper reported.

“I was grazing cattle on the bank. I heard a loud noise and saw the cargo vessels hitting the passenger trawler. I saw the trawler sinking quickly,” witness Nurul Amin told the paper.

Published: 28/08/2021 by Radio NewsHub