DHAKA, Bangladesh (Tue, Mar. 13) – According to media reports; more than 165 people are missing after a ferryboat with at least 200 people on board sunk in a river in southern Bangladesh. The ferry was reportedly traveling to Dhaka from the Shariatpur district.
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| Ferry Capsizes in Bangladesh: Scores fear dead as more than 160 missing |
Unverified reports suggest that the ferryboat, dubbed as Shariatpur-1 went down the waters after hitting against a small oil tanker in the Meghna River, south-west of the capital Dhaka. Approximately 35 people were saved after the accident, police said.
Local police chief Shahidul Islam told the AFP, “About 35 passengers were rescued by another ship. But more than 150 passengers remain unaccounted for.”
Rescue and search teams couldn’t locate the sunken ship, while the operation is still underway. Every year score of people have been killed by such tragic accidents, which are very common in Bangladesh mainly because of poor safety standards followed by the ferry owners.
Last April, at least 23 people died after a ferry carrying more than 100 passengers capsized in the east of the country.
In June 2010, about a dozen people were killed after a packed ferry capsized in storms in north-east Bangladesh.
In November 2009, 118 people died in two ferry accidents within a week.
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