Bangladesh
Capsize Karatoya boat capsize: Death toll increases to 47
Dhaka, September 26: In Panchagarh's Boda upazila, the row of dead bodies is getting longer due to boat capsizing in Karatoya river. In this accident, the bodies of 47 people, including women and children, were recovered in two days. Many are missing. Relatives of the missing have been staying on the banks of the river since the incident.
As soon as they heard the news of the recovery of the body, the relatives rushed to the local Madaya Bamanhat Union Parishad from the river bank. The recovered bodies are kept there.
On Sunday (September 25) around 2:30 in the afternoon, a boat capsized occurred in the Aulia Ghat area of Madea Bamanhat Union of the upazila. Since the accident on Monday (September 26) until 5:30 p.m., a total of 47 bodies have been recovered by fire service divers and locals. The number of passengers in the sunken boat is not yet available. However, the relatives of the missing persons gave a list of 66 persons to the administration on Sunday.
Since morning in Aulia Ghat area, local people and three units of diving team of fire service are carrying out rescue operations. Relatives of the missing have gathered there. Some are looking for loved ones in the river with boats. The residents of the river banks are showing and lamenting the pictures of their missing relatives in someone's hand. Besides, thousands of eager people have come down to the river bank.
Sixty-year-old Krishna Chandra Roy came to Aulia Ghat in search of his brother and nephew. He said his brother Naresh and nephew Sintu left home to attend the Mahalaya Puja at Badeswari temple on the other side of the river and never returned. I have been here since the shipwreck. The old man Sumal Chandra came from Panchpir area of the upazila in search of his grandson. He said, if we get the grandson's body, at least we could do the cremation ourselves.
Seven close relatives of Dhiren Babu of Madea Battali area, including two neighbors, are still missing. He has been waiting by the river since yesterday. He said, nephew, nephew's wife, nephew's father-in-law, sister-in-law and my niece met with an accident in a boat to attend Mahalaya Puja at Badeswari temple. Haven't found anyone yet. Now waiting for their bodies.
According to eyewitnesses and local sources, the boat was going from Aulia Ghat to Badshwari Ghat to see Mahalaya on Sunday afternoon. There were more than 100 passengers on the boat. At the beginning of the journey, the boat started rocking. The boat swayed in the middle of the river and sank.
