At least 25 people went missing as three launches anchored in a harbor at Shariatpur sank after a pontoon gave way.
The sunken launches are: MV Mahanagar and Nariya-2. They are launches of the route between Shariatpur and Narayanganj.
The incident happened around 7am on Monday in Naria Upazila as the shore of the Padma River was overflowing, said local police police station’s officer-in-charge Salauddin.
A total of six launches anchored at the ghat early today.
Due to heavy rain, very few people were at the pontoon. Suddenly, the pontoon gave way and three launches anchored there sank.
Identities of the missing people including the launch staff and passengers were not known immediately.
Meanwhile, a search operation is underway with the help of locals to rescue the missing people, Ehsan Shah, additional superintendent of Shariatpur police, informed.
Efforts are being made to locate the sunken launches, the police official said.
Three persons were rescued immediately after the launch capsized. They are: Sarwar, a cabin boy of another launch named Sureshwar-2 and hailing from Hailsar village, Mohammad Ali, a passenger, and Noor Islam, a cook of Lonsing village.
The three rescued people were admitted to Mulfatganj Upazila Health Complex.
The erosion devoured 30 percent of the riverbank in the ghat area, locals said.
Source: The Daily Ittefaq
