At least 21 people died and dozens were reported missing in Bangladesh when a boat full of passengers sank in a lake that collided with a merchant ship carrying sand. Local authorities announced it. About sixty passengers were on board the boat, which was sailing on a lake near the city of Bijoynagar, in the east of the country. “So far we have found 21 bodies, including those of nine women and six children,” said the head of the local administration Hayat-ud-Doula Khan, according to whom the budget is set to increase.
Fire Department spokesman Taufiqul Islam explained that divers are exploring the sinking scene in search of other bodies. At least seven people were taken to hospital after being rescued, police said. An investigation has been opened on the incident. The shipwreck is only the latest in Bangladesh to involve ferries, often overloaded and in poor condition. In April and May, a total of 54 people died in two shipwrecks. In June 2020, at least 32 in the sinking of a ferry hit by another boat. Arriving in February 2015, 78 people were killed in the collision between an overcrowded boat and a cargo ship.