Three launches sink as Padma pontoon gives way in Shariatpur; at least 12 missing

At least 12 people went missing in Shariatpur as three launches anchored in a harbour of the Padma river sank after a bamboo bush used as a pontoon gave way, police have said.

The incident occurred at around 7am on Monday in Naria Upazila as the shore of the river was overflowing with rising water level, police said.

Navy divers could not find any survivor or sunken vessel in a search operation until evening as police made a list of 12 people missing in the incident, Naria Police Station Sub-Inspector Habibur Rahman said.

The listed missing people are Robin Sarder, 20, Liton Sheikh, 25, Manik Matbor, 35, ‘Bashir’, 29, Md Rafiq, 50, ‘Palash’, 20, ‘Sajal’, 25, ‘Zakir’, 45, Shah Alam, 35, ‘Salauddin’, 30, ‘Joy’, 19, and ‘Sadeq’, 25.

Locals and crew members of the launches claimed at least 25 people, including passengers and staff members, were missing. 

There were only a few people at the Wapda dock, situated next to the improvised pontoon, due to heavy rains, police OC Md Salahuddin told bdnews24.com earlier.

Local union council member Rafique Kazi said around 50 people were asleep on board the three vessels when those sank.

Police said 20 people swam ashore from the sinking launches. One of them, staff member Sarwar Hossain, said around 25 others could not make it to the shore.

Another survivor, passenger Mohammad Ali, said his wife, a 5-month old baby and mother-in-law went missing, though the police list did not include any woman or child.

The district authorities have formed a five-member committee headed by an additional deputy commissioner to investigate the incident.

The accident has also cut off launch services between Shariatpur and other parts of the country.

BIWTA Chairman Mozammel Haque told bdnews24.com from the site that rescue ship Pratya arrived in Wapda dock at 5pm.

Shariatpur Fire Service Station Officer Abdur Rahman said two teams of divers came from Dhaka and Mawa but could not join the rescue operation due to bad weather.