In a tragic incident, eight lives were lost, including those of three children, after a boat carrying 46 passengers crashed with another vessel and capsized in Bangladesh's Padma River on Saturday, as per media reports.
Qais Ahmed, Louhajung Fire Service Station Officer, said that the accident took place on Saturday evening in Munshiganj district, and four out of the eight bodies have been sent to the local hospital. Two bodies remained on the river bank, he said.
Three children and two women are among the deceased victims of the accident. Strong currents and turbulent weather briefly halted the rescue operation for the missing persons at the river, before it was resumed on Sunday morning.
According to Munshiganj Superintendent of Police Aslam Khan, the passengers were on a daylong picnic on the boat and were on their way home. Most of them managed to swim ashore.
Bangladesh has a notorious reputation for boat and ferry accidents, largely owing to overcrowding and poor safety conditions of the vessels.
Last month, at least 17 people lost their lives as the bus they were travelling in veered off the road and rolled into a large roadside pond in southwestern Bangladesh. As per the police, more than a dozen are reported injured in the road accident that took place in the Jhalakathi district.
The accident occurred after the driver lost control of the wheel. Police sub-inspector Gautamm Kumar Ghose said the dead included eight women and three children.
(with PTI inputs)
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