Vessel sinks in Padma river with over 200 passengers

The Pinak-6, a passenger vessel sank in the middle of the river Padma on its way to Mawa from Kawrakandi terminal at around 11 PM today. The overloaded boat capsized since the river was rough due to the stormy weather. The launch was going from Kewrakandi to Mawa at 11am when it began to list and sank in the face of strong currents at the Louhajang turning point. At least 250 people were in the capsized boat, even though according to the some of the survivors the number can exceed 300. Local people managed to rescue nearly 45 passengers from the river and many other are still missing. Mawa, Munshigonj, near Dhaka, Bangladesh

The Army, Navy, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), coast guard, fire service, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) and the local administration had been asked to step in after Pinak-6 drowned. Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan has rushed to the spot. Despite the great deployment of forces, the stormy weather and strong current hamper the rescue operation.

All photos: © Suvra Kanti Das / UnFrame

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