32 dead, 30 missing in Bangladesh pilgrims’ boat tragedy
At least 32 persons died, with some 30 to 40 people still missing in the pilgrims’ boat sinking in northern Bangladesh on Sunday, a senior police official said.
SM Sirajul Huda, superintendent of Panchagarh District Police, said seven bodies were retrieved on Monday from the Karatoya river in Bangladesh’s northern Panchagarh district, 468 km from the capital Dhaka.
“Another seven bodies were recovered on Monday morning, which brings the total death toll to 32 from 25 on Sunday,” the official said on the phone Monday afternoon.
According to the official, the jam-packed boat, carrying 100 passengers, sank on Sunday afternoon.
“A search operation is still underway for 30 to 40 people still missing,” he said, adding that the boat had been dragged to the bank.
The police official said rescuers had been working against a strong current and choppy river waters. “The boat sank due to overloading,” he added.
Ferry and boat disasters were common in Bangladesh, which was crisscrossed by hundreds of rivers.
The ferry is still a key means of transport in South Asian countries and most of them are often overcrowded.
(Xinhua/NAN)
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