Bangladesh ferry likely overcrowded before sinking
Print Edition
A ferry that capsized during a storm in central Bangladesh, killing at least 29 people — and possibly many more — was likely overcrowded when it sank, authorities said yesterday.
Rescuers recovered at least 29 bodies by yesterday afternoon but police estimate at least 100 are still missing. It was not clear exactly how many people were on board because the ferry operators did not maintain a passenger list, according to a local administrator, Saiful Hasan.
Some passengers swam to safety, and some crew may have fled the scene after swimming to shore as well.
Rescue diver Masudul Haque said he had recovered nine of the bodies but many victims were trapped in cabin rooms.
“We have recovered the bodies mainly from the lower deck and other open spaces but could not open the doors of the cabin rooms where many passengers took shelter after the storm had hit,” he said.
“I tried to open those doors but could not as huge volumes of sand have buried many of the doors,” he said.
Relatives of the missing and the dead gathered on the banks the Meghna River, near where the boat capsized Thursday afternoon in Munshiganj district. Several bodies, covered in cloth, were laid out on the ground.
Sabuj, a passenger who jumped overboard when the ship began to sink, said he was among 25 survivors who swam.
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