Sunamganj Boat Capsize: Seven children among 10 dead

A total of 10 people, including seven children, died as a boat sank in Kaliakuta Haor of Sunamganj’s Derai upazila on Tuesday.

Rescue workers called off their operations as no one else was missing, said KM Nazrul Islam, officer-in-charge of Derai Police Station.

Twenty one others survived the accident, said the police official.

The dead are Sohan Miah, 1, Azam Miah, 2, Shamim Miah, 2, Abir Miah, 3, Shanta Begum, 3, Asad Miah, 5, Tasmina Begum, 11, Roitunnesa, 35, Karima Begum, 62.

Divers of Fire Service and Civil Defence, along with locals, started conducting a rescue operation in the Haor immediately after the boat capsized on Tuesday evening. Bodies of four children were recovered on Tuesday night while six more were recovered yesterday.

The bodies were handed over to the family members for burial, OC Nazrul said, adding that the boat capsized due to strong current in the Haor.

Terming the incident “tragedy”, Derai Upazila Nirbahi Officer Biswajit Deb said the district administration handed over Tk 10,000 to all the victims’ families.

Further support for burial will also be provided, he added.

Afzol Miah, a survivor of the accident, said they were going to attend a bridal party in another village of the same upazila. All the members died in the accident were relatives of each other.