Power outage triggers panic among launch passengers on Meghna

Tension spread among passengers on a launch in Meghna River on Tuesday as it narrowly escaped accidents following a power outage.

The launch, MV Sonar Tori-5, started for Chandpur from Dhaka around 8pm with more than 200 passengers on board.

The power generator installed inside the vessel went out of order midway while the vessel was passing by Chandpur’s Mohanpur.

Passengers spent an hour in dark before local administration and police came to their rescue.

The driver kept operating the vessel despite the blackout, said journalist Alam Palash, a passenger. “The vessel almost hit a sand-laden launch amid darkness, triggering panic among passengers.”

It also hit a shoal as nothing was visible, he added.

“I was sleeping in my cabin when the launch hit the shoal,” said another panicked passenger, Golam Mostafa.

Chandpur Deputy Commissioner Md Majedur Rahman Khan and naval police OC Abul Hashim arrived at the scene on reports and made arrangements to rescue the vessel.

It was 12pm when the vessel was finally rescued, according to Mostafa, general secretary at Chandpur District Sports Association.

The driver, Daud Hossain, was detained from the scene, said DC Rahman adding that other staffers managed to flee.

“The generator broke down all of a sudden. I was then driving slowly,” said the driver.