capsized ferry india 35 dead
"Divers have recovered 32 bodies from the sunken vessel including five women and three children," Superintendent of Police Tariqul Islam said
Rescue workers and Naval divers toiled for hours to bring back to surface the sunken double-decker ferry to bring out the trapped passengers, 50 of whom swam to safety.
While media reports identified the boat involved in the tragedy as passenger ferry 'MV Shariatpur', Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan said it was a commercial-cum passenger ferry carrying sand and chillies bound for Dhaka's Sadarghat Terminal from western Shariatpur when it collided with the oil tanker and sank at about 3 am this morning.
"It is feared that more people are still trapped in the sunken vessel and salvage vessel is making efforts to break into the trapped ferry," he said.
"We fear that the death toll is likely to rise as more bodies are trapped inside," the minister said while local officials said that a better picture of the casualties would be known once the sunken vessel is brought to surface.
The minister said that action would be taken against the owners of the vessel after investigations.
Confusion still prevailed over numbers of passengers involved in the mishap as ferry operators rarely keep a list of passengers. Most passengers buy tickets once on board.
"Fifty passengers swam ashore or were rescued by nearby fishing boats and two other launches," president of Inland Waterways Passenger Career Association Badiuzzaman Badal told PTI.
The tragedy occurred in the river Meghna in the Munshiganj district, about 32 kilometres south of Dhaka after the ferry collided head-on with a tanker carrying oil.
Ferry boats are the main form of travel in river criss-crossed Bangladesh and often ply overloaded. The country has witnessed a spate of boat tragedies in recent time, with the worst being in 2009 when 85 people drowned when a ferry capsized off Bhola island in the country's south.
Relatives of the missing passengers have gathered on the bank of the river.
Survivor Dulal Dewan told reporters that the launch was on its way from Naria of Shariatpur to Dhaka. Dulal said eight members of his family were still missing.
"My brother-in-law Shamim Fakir and his wife Poly were among them. They were scheduled to leave for Dubai on an 11am flight," he was quoted as saying by Bdnews 24.
One shipping official said it was difficult to get a reliable estimate as ferry operators rarely keep a list of passengers. Most passengers buy tickets once on board.
Meanwhile the shipping minister announced that Tk 30,000 (USD 367) will be provided for a victim's family and Tk 45,000 (USD 550) for the family with more than one victim.
There are thought to be more than 300 passengers on board the boat, with more than 200 still missing. The boat was traveling when it was hit by heavy storms.
The AP reports the incident happened near Fakiragram in west Dhubri district.
A packed ferry boat capsized in heavy winds and rain in remote northeastern India late Monday, leaving at least 35 people dead and 165 others feared missing, police said.
Assam state police chief J.N. Choudhury said the boat was carrying about 350 passengers and broke into two pieces. About 150 people who were traveling on the top level were rescued or swam to safety, he said. Details were sketchy because bad weather and the remoteness of the area hampered communication.Choudhury said the accident occurred on the Brahmaputra river near Fakiragram in west Dhubri district. The area is about 350 kilometers (215 miles) west of the state capital, Gauhati, and close to where the river enters Bangladesh. He said officials in that country had been contacted for help.
The area is dotted with riverside settlements and small islands, and boats are the most common mode of transport. Most ferries are overcrowded, with little regard for safety regulations.
Strong winds and rain likely caused the accident, Choudhury said. Police and paramilitary soldiers were sent to help local villagers with rescue efforts, he said.
Details were sketchy because bad weather and the remoteness of the area hampered communication.
Choudhury said the accident occurred on the Brahmaputra river near Fakiragram in west Dhubri district. The area is about 215 miles west of the state capital, Gauhati, and close to where the river enters Bangladesh. He said officials in that country had been contacted for help.
The area is dotted with riverside settlements and small islands, and boats are the most common mode of transport. Most ferries are overcrowded, with little regard for safety regulations.
Strong winds and rain likely caused the accident, Choudhury said. Police and paramilitary soldiers were sent to help local villagers with rescue efforts, he said.
Mohan Lal, a senior officer with the Border Security Force, said 35 troops were at the accident site on boats and were using hand-held searchlights. He said a team of federal rescue workers was also on its way.
Lal said troops had located the upturned and broken pieces of the boat but were unable to lift them without a crane.
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh issued a statement expressing shock and grief at the loss of life.
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