Shitalakhya launch capsize: Death toll rises to 6

GBnews24desk//

Six bodies were recovered after a passenger launch with dozens of passengers on board has capsized in the river Shitalakhya at Char Syedpur in Narayanganj on Sunday afternoon.

The bodies were of two childre, two men and two women. Most of them were inhabitants of Munshiganj district.

Fire Service and Naval Police concerned have expressed the apprehension that the number of death will increase further.

Hearing about the accident, hundreds of people rushed to Char Syedpur to find out their near and dear ones who went missing following the capsize of the launch. They were seen wailing on both sides of the river Shitalakhya.

It was mentioned in the voice declaration given at Narayanganj launch ghat that there were 34 passengers on board the ML Ashrafuddin.

Witnesses said though some passengers managed to save their lives jumping from the launch just before it capsized, most of the passengers, particularly women and children, could not do so. As a result, most of the passengers drowned with the ill-fated launch.

The Fire Service detected the sunken launch at the river-bed two hours after it had capsized. However, it couldn’t be possible to salvage the sunken launch as no rescue vessels reached the spot till 8:30pm on Sunday.

However, the cargo vessel ‘Ruposhi-9’ whic is owned by the City Group, has been seized by a team of Naval Police from Gazaria in Munshiganj.

Besides, three seperate probe bodies have been formed by the Ministry of Shipping, Department of Shipping, and the district administration concerned to probe the accident.

The accident happened near underconstruction ‘Nasim Osman Bridge’ at Koylaghat in between Al Amin Nagar and Char Syedpur under Bandar police station at about 2:30pm on Sunday, according to Narayanganj Fire Service Control Room.