A passenger ferry carrying up to 50 people sank in the river Meghna at Gazaria in Munshiganj Friday morning.
bdnews24.com Narayanganj Correspondent reported the MV SM Sarash sank near Ismani Char around 8:00am after a sand-laden boat hit it, said Badiuzzaman Badal, the President of the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport and Passenger Service, in Narayanganj.
The launch was on its way to Chandpur from Narayanganj when the accident took place, he said.
Witnesses said many of the passengers swam to safety after the accident, but it was not immediately clear if any passenger remained missing.
Survivor Dulal, 52, said he was going to Kalir Bazaar in Durgapur of Matlab. Although swam ashore along with his daughter Nadira, 14, his son Ibrahim, 9, was missing.
Another survivor Faisal, 25, said his mother, Nazma Begum, was also missing.
10-year-old Omar Faruque was also in tears uncertain of what had become of his mother.
Villagers also rescued some of the passengers, said Munshiganj Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Saiful Hasan.
However, the DC would also not say if anyone was missing.
“Salvage vessel Rustam has reached the scene and a rescue operation would begin after the sunken ferry is located,” said Fazlur Rahman, the Commander of Rustam.bdnews24.com
