Launch meets with accident in Barisal, passengers escape unhurt

Around 600 passengers on board a Patuakhali-bound launch have miraculously escaped unhurt after the vessel met with an accident.

Barisal Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 18 March 2016, 03:11 PM
Updated : 18 March 2016, 03:11 PM

The bottom portion of the MV Sundarban-9 was ruptured after it hit an underwater bulkhead on Thursday late night on the Meghna River at Miarchar area in Barisal.

The pilot of the launch immediately drove it to an island, thus evading a major disaster, officials said.

Sayeedur Rahman Rintu, owner of Sundarban Navigation, said that Sundarban-9 started from Dhaka Sadarghat terminal for Patuakhali at 6.30pm with around 600 passengers on board.

When the launch reached Miarchar area at about 1am it hit bulkhead of a sand carrying vessel which drowned in the river two days ago.

The bottom was ruptured and it started sipping water.

Another launch, Sundarban-11, rescued the passengers at 6am. It reached Patuakhali at 1pm.

The damaged launch is being repaired and will be returned to Dhaka.