At least six people were killed and dozens are missing after a ferry carrying more than 50 passengers capsized when a cargo ship rammed into the Sheetlakshya river on the outskirts of Dhaka on Sunday.
The incident took place in the Sheetlakshya river on the outskirts of Dhaka. (file photo/representative image)
At least six people were killed and dozens are missing after a cargo ship capsized on Sunday in the Sheetlakshya River on the outskirts of Bangladesh’s capital.
MV Afsar Uddin, en route to Munshiganj, sank after being hit by MV Ruposhi-9 in Syedpur Al Amin Nagar area around 2:20 pm on Sunday, officials said.
Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) along with River Police, Navy and Coast Guard have started rescue operations in the area after the accident.
A private independent TV channel quoted a fire service official as saying: “So far, six bodies have been recovered, of which three are women.” Rescue operations are on for the missing people.
Another official said that many more passengers were feared drowned and some of them could be trapped inside the boat.
Video footage, which went viral on social media and was broadcast by TV channels, showed a small yacht in front of a moving giant cargo ship, which took it a few yards before it quickly sank off.
About 20 passengers were seen jumping off the ferry, known as a launch, and some were rescued by boats floating ashore or nearby.
Narayanganj district administration officials said fire service divers immediately launched a search operation along with volunteers in the neighborhood and were later joined by Coast Guard personnel.
In June last year, a boat sank after colliding with another ship in Dhaka, killing at least 32 people.
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