At least six killed after cargo vessel collides with a ferry in Bangladesh

At least six people lost their lives after a cargo vessel collided with a ferry carrying dozens of people on the Shitalakhsya River in central Bangladesh on Sunday.

The officials have not been able to determine the exact number of people who were onboard the ferry. The dead include two women and two children.

Local news outlets have claimed that the boat was carrying around 50 passengers when the mishap occurred. It was hit by MV Ruposhi-9 when the ferry was on its way to the Munshiganj area.

"Six bodies have been retrieved so far, three of them women. The rescue campaign is underway for the missing ones," a fire service official was quoted as saying.

Several others are feared to have drowned and some of them could even be trapped inside the ferry, according to officials.

The video footage of the incident which went viral on social media shows the ferry being dragged for a few seconds by the vessel before it finally sank. People could be heard screaming in the footage.

The footage was not only shared on social media but was also aired by local broadcasters. The cargo vessel has been seized by the authorities.

Meanwhile, the Bangladesh government has formed two probe committees to carry out an investigation into the incident. Monetary compensation has also been announced for the victims and their families.

This was not the first such incident to have occurred in the riverine country. Such incidents are a regular occurrence in Bangladesh as waterways are used by thousands of people for daily commute, mostly to travel to Dhaka from other coastal towns and districts.

According to Anadolu Agency, more than 3,600 people have lost their lives in similar incidents between 1991 and 2020, while 500 have gone missing over the years.

Last year in December, at least 49 people lost their lives after a ferry carrying nearly 800 passengers caught fire in the southern rural town of Jhalokati.