Stormy waters: Scores missing as ferry sinks in Bangladesh

12 bodies found so far; 200-350 people could be on board.

DHAKA:

A heavily laden ferry capsized and sank in central Bangladesh on Thursday after being caught in a storm, leaving at least 12 people dead and hundreds more missing.

Survivors of what is the latest in a string of ferry disasters to blight Bangladesh said the vessel began to sway when the storm hit, finally tipping over and sinking in minutes, giving passengers little time to leap to safety. The exact number of passengers was not immediately known. It is common for ferries to carry many more than their official limit.

“We are receiving confusing figures on how many passengers were on board when it sank, but the number could range from 200 to 350,” said district government administrator Saiful Hasan.

“The toll now stands at 12,” he said of the accident on the River Meghna in Munshiganj district, some 50 kilometres south of the capital Dhaka.

Local police chief Ferdous Ahmed also confirmed the recovery of the bodies, which included at least two women and one child.

The double-decker vessel was travelling to Shariatpur from Dhaka when it encountered problems and sank in the mid-afternoon, according to the police.

“Around 20-30 people managed to swim to safety when the boat went down,” informed Ahmed.

Officials said that a salvage vessel had reached the spot and fire-service divers had located the sunken ferry and were attempting to retrieve bodies as darkness fell.

“I fear there are many more bodies trapped inside the vessel,” fire service officer, Nurul Alam, told AFP in a phone interview from the accident site.

The width of the river and the strong currents were hampering rescue efforts.

Hundreds of distraught relatives gathered on the banks of the river as the bodies were laid in lines in order to be identified. One of the divers who was taking part in the rescue effort was quoted by the Bangladesh Star as saying “many bodies” were still trapped inside the vessel.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 16^th, 2014.