118 bodies recovered from sunken launch, WRAP

Dhaka, Feb 21 (BDNEWS) – At least 118 people were killed and many missing as a launch caught by a tornado capsized in the river Buriganga near the capital Saturday night, rescuers said after concluding the operation Monday. Among the deceased, 115 have been identified and handed over to their relatives for burial. The rest three bodies were sent to Matlab upazila in Chandpur considering the dead were from the area. Of the dead, 84 are male, 25 female and nine minor. Most of the deceased were from Chandpur district. Navy, BIWTA and Fire Service personnel joined the rescue operation only to recover bodies after bodies. The launch MV Maharaj carrying some 300 passengers left Sadarghat terminal for Matlab at 10pm Saturday and was caught in a tornado at Hazaribagh area between Pagla and Keraniganj at about 10.45pm. The launch went down in the dark in minutes. Salvage ship Hamza in cooperation with Rustam rescued the capsized launch after 36 hours it sank. The Hamza joined Rustam at 5:30am Monday and could rescue the sunken launch after a 7 hours of joint efforts. The launch was handed over to the navy to find out the cause of the accident. It is believed most of the passengers on board the launch died as only few could swim ashore in the night. According to official sources the launch was carrying 167 passengers, but people at Sadarghat who witnessed the departure of the vessel said it had over 300 passengers. A one-member enquiry committee has been formed with chief nautical surveyor of Bangladesh Shipping Corporation Captain Jasimuddin. The committee has been asked to submit its report within a week. The atmosphere of the accident site was heavy with the wails and crying of the near and dear ones of the ill-fated passengers rushed to the riverside after hearing the news of accident. Shipping Minister Col (Retd) Akbar Hossain and State Minister for Labour and Manpower Amanullah Aman, former state minister for Shipping Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya and leaders from different political parties visited the site. Col Akbar said this type of accident is not unlikely in this season of the year as tornados hit the country in the months of Chaitra and Baishakh. He, however, said that his ministry is taking a project within 3-4 months under which radars will be set up in the waterways to avert such disasters. "We will take other projects in coordination with the Meteorological Department that will increase safety in the water routes," he told BDNEWS. Director of BIWTA Syed Monwar Hossain told BDNEWS that the Met Office on that night instructed the river ports to hoist cautionary signal number 1 meaning the lunches could ply but with caution. He said it would be investigated whether the launch was over-loaded. corr/ks/zn/ni/1720 hrs