On Sunday, at least 24 people were killed and dozens went missing after a ferry carrying nearly 50 pilgrims capsized in a river in Bangladesh, said the police. Meanwhile, at least 10 victims have been rescued and taken to the hospital, reported the local media.&nbsp;

“Firefighters and divers are searching for more bodies,” said the local police officer, Shafiqul Islam. The&nbsp;incident reportedly took place in the middle of the Karotoa river in the northern region of the country.&nbsp;

The bodies recovered till now included women and children, said Jahurul Islam, district administrator of northern Panchagarh. He added, “The rescue operation for those missing is ongoing.” A video of the incident shows&nbsp;the overcrowded boat suddenly flipped and the people fell into the muddy water while dozens of people standing on the banks started screaming and shouting.&nbsp;

According to the local police, the boat was packed with 50 Hindu pilgrims. Reportedly, hundreds of people die every year in Bangladesh because of ferry accidents, which have been attributed to it being a low-lying delta country on the course of two rivers Ganga and Brahmaputra.&nbsp;

Bangladesh also has an extensive network of 230 rivers. Naval officers have also indicated that 95% of the thousands of small and medium-sized boats do not meet any safety regulations. These boats are then overloaded with people making these accidents a common sight.&nbsp;

Every year, thousands of Hindu pilgrims make their way to the Bodeshwari Temple, which was the case today too, as it marks the beginning of Durga Puja, one of the biggest Hindu festivals in the Muslim-majority country.&nbsp;

In May, earlier this year, 26 people died after an overcrowded speed boat collided with a bulk carrier carrying sand at the time and sank on the Padma River, one of the major rivers in the country. In December 2021, at least 40 people were killed after a three-storey ferry caught fire. In the month of June, last year, a collision between two vessels led to the death of at least 32 people.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

On Sunday, at least 24 people were killed and dozens went missing after a ferry carrying nearly 50 pilgrims capsized in a river in Bangladesh, said the police. Meanwhile, at least 10 victims have been rescued and taken to the hospital, reported the local media.

On Sunday, at least 24 people were killed and dozens went missing after a ferry carrying nearly 50 pilgrims capsized in a river in Bangladesh, said the police. Meanwhile, at least 10 victims have been rescued and taken to the hospital, reported the local media. “Firefighters and divers are searching for more bodies,” said the local police officer, Shafiqul Islam. The incident reportedly took place in the middle of the Karotoa river in the northern region of the country. The bodies recovered till now included women and children, said Jahurul Islam, district administrator of northern Panchagarh. He added, “The rescue operation for those missing is ongoing.” A video of the incident shows the overcrowded boat suddenly flipped and the people fell into the muddy water while dozens of people standing on the banks started screaming and shouting. According to the local police, the boat was packed with 50 Hindu pilgrims. Reportedly, hundreds of people die every year in Bangladesh because of ferry accidents, which have been attributed to it being a low-lying delta country on the course of two rivers Ganga and Brahmaputra. Bangladesh also has an extensive network of 230 rivers. Naval officers have also indicated that 95% of the thousands of small and medium-sized boats do not meet any safety regulations. These boats are then overloaded with people making these accidents a common sight. Every year, thousands of Hindu pilgrims make their way to the Bodeshwari Temple, which was the case today too, as it marks the beginning of Durga Puja, one of the biggest Hindu festivals in the Muslim-majority country. In May, earlier this year, 26 people died after an overcrowded speed boat collided with a bulk carrier carrying sand at the time and sank on the Padma River, one of the major rivers in the country. In December 2021, at least 40 people were killed after a three-storey ferry caught fire. In the month of June, last year, a collision between two vessels led to the death of at least 32 people. (With inputs from agencies)

Bangladesh: At least 24 killed, several missing after ‘overcrowded’ ferry capsizes

The death toll of Sunday's ferry sinking in the Shitalakkhya River near Bangladesh's capital Dhaka has risen to 26, according to official reports.

The sunken ferry was extracted from the heavily polluted Shitalakshya River in the central district of Narayanganj as hundreds of onlookers and relatives of the missing watched from the shore.

"We have found 21 bodies today after the ship was pulled out of the water," local official Mustain Billah told AFP.

The one-and-a-half storey Sabit Al Hasan sank after it collided with a bigger cargo vessel on Sunday.

The vessel had departed less than an hour earlier from Narayanganj, 20 kilometres (12 miles) from Dhaka, officials told AFP.

A local police inspector said the ferry was packed with passengers after the government confirmed it would impose a seven-day lockdown across the country to combat the recent rise in coronavirus cases.

Billah said the ship was carrying at least 46 people when it left.&nbsp;

"Some 20 people swam to safety after the vessel sank," he told AFP, adding several people could still be missing. "We have ordered a probe into the accident," he said.&nbsp;

Local police chief Dipak Saha said rescue efforts were hampered for hours by a powerful storm that hit after the accident.

Under the lockdown, all domestic travel services -- including buses, ferries, trains and flights -- will be suspended from Monday.

Shops and malls will be shut for a week and a night curfew in effect.&nbsp;

Public and private sector businesses were told to only have a skeleton crew in their offices.

Ferry accidents are common in Bangladesh, a delta nation crisscrossed by hundreds of rivers.&nbsp;

Millions of people are heavily reliant on ferries for transport, particularly in the country's southern coastal region, but the vessels have a poor safety record.

Experts blame poor maintenance, lax safety standards at shipyards and overcrowding for many of the accidents.

In June last year, a ferry sank in Dhaka after it was hit from behind by another ferry, killing at least 32 people.

In February 2015, at least 78 people died when an overcrowded ship collided with a cargo boat in a central Bangladesh river.

The number of accidents has dropped sharply in recent years as authorities crackdown on unseaworthy vessels. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

The death toll of Sunday's ferry sinking in the Shitalakkhya River near Bangladesh's capital Dhaka has risen to 26, according to official reports. The sunken ferry was extracted from the heavily polluted Shitalakshya River in the central district of Narayanganj as hundreds of onlookers and relatives of the missing watched from the shore.

The death toll of Sunday's ferry sinking in the Shitalakkhya River near Bangladesh's capital Dhaka has risen to 26, according to official reports. The sunken ferry was extracted from the heavily polluted Shitalakshya River in the central district of Narayanganj as hundreds of onlookers and relatives of the missing watched from the shore. "We have found 21 bodies today after the ship was pulled out of the water," local official Mustain Billah told AFP. The one-and-a-half storey Sabit Al Hasan sank after it collided with a bigger cargo vessel on Sunday. The vessel had departed less than an hour earlier from Narayanganj, 20 kilometres (12 miles) from Dhaka, officials told AFP. A local police inspector said the ferry was packed with passengers after the government confirmed it would impose a seven-day lockdown across the country to combat the recent rise in coronavirus cases. Billah said the ship was carrying at least 46 people when it left. "Some 20 people swam to safety after the vessel sank," he told AFP, adding several people could still be missing. "We have ordered a probe into the accident," he said. Local police chief Dipak Saha said rescue efforts were hampered for hours by a powerful storm that hit after the accident. Under the lockdown, all domestic travel services -- including buses, ferries, trains and flights -- will be suspended from Monday. Shops and malls will be shut for a week and a night curfew in effect. Public and private sector businesses were told to only have a skeleton crew in their offices. Ferry accidents are common in Bangladesh, a delta nation crisscrossed by hundreds of rivers. Millions of people are heavily reliant on ferries for transport, particularly in the country's southern coastal region, but the vessels have a poor safety record. Experts blame poor maintenance, lax safety standards at shipyards and overcrowding for many of the accidents. In June last year, a ferry sank in Dhaka after it was hit from behind by another ferry, killing at least 32 people. In February 2015, at least 78 people died when an overcrowded ship collided with a cargo boat in a central Bangladesh river. The number of accidents has dropped sharply in recent years as authorities crackdown on unseaworthy vessels. (With inputs from agencies)

At least 26 killed after ferry sinks in Bangladesh

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Bangladesh: At least 24 killed, several missing after ‘overcrowded’ ferry capsizes

At least 26 killed after ferry sinks in Bangladesh