10 dead, 8 missing as another boat sinks after collision in a Netrokona river
The rescue operation is underway to find the missing people
10 people are dead and at least 8 are missing after a passenger boat sank after colliding with a sand-laden vessel on the Gumai river in Netrokona's Kalmakanda Upazila at 10am on Wednesday.
The deceased have been identified as - Anik, 7, Lucky Akter, 30, her son Jahid, 3, her daughter Tumpa Akter, 4, Morjina Begum, 50, Lutfunnahar, 25, her son Rakibur Hasan, 2, Mojahid, 4, Sultana, 45 from Sunamganj's Dharmapasha upazila and Hamida Khatun, 35 from Netrokona Sadar Upazila.
Some of the missing people are - Monira, Ratan Mia, Fatema and Mofazzel. All of them are residents of Kamaura village of the upazila.
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Locals said that they rushed to the spot and started the rescue operation right after the boat sank. On being informed, members of the police and fire service arrived at the spot and joined in the rescue operation.
Deputy Commissioner of Netrakona district Kazi Md Abdur Rahman, Sunamganj Deputy Commissioner Abdul Ahad, Netrokona Police Super Akbar Ali Munshi and Kalmakanda Upazila Nirbahi Officer Sohel Rana and Upazila Parishad Chairman Abdul Khalek also rushed to the spot after learning about the accident.
"There were more than 30 passengers on board the boat that sank. While some of them were rescued alive by locals, at least 7-8 people remained missing," Netrokona police Superintendent Akbar Ali Munshi told journalists on Wednesday afternoon.
A team of divers from Mymensingh is on its way to the spot, he added.
Earlier in the day, Kalmakanda Upazila Nirbahi Officer Sohel Rana said that the bodies of 10 passengers were recovered from the spot.
The bodies have already been handed over to their relatives. The Deputy Commissioner's Office is providing each family Tk10,000 for body transportation and burial cost.
Earlier on August 5, 18 Madrasa teachers and students died when their boat sank at Uchitpur Haor in Madan Upazila of Netrokona.
After that incident, the Deputy Commissioner's Office formed a probe committee to find the cause of the accident. While the probe committee report identified bad weather as the reason for the boat sinking, they made a few recommendations as well.
The probe committee recommended registering motorised boats, appointing skilled boatmen, preventing reckless sailing and to stopping overloading the boats.
They also suggested keeping enough safety equipment on the boats and to keep the boat moored during bad weather. None of the recommendations have been implemented so far.
Residents of the haor area said that the local administration became alert for a few days after the boat accident at Uchitpur, but everything returned to the way it was before in no time.
