One killed, 15 missing

At least one person was killed and 15 others remained missing after a sand-laden boat collided with a trawler in the Meghna river amid storms last night.

The identity of the deceased could not be known immediately. His body remained trapped inside the vessel, said police.

Although the collision took place somewhere in Chandpur or Comilla, both the vessels were spotted near Bhashanchar in the Meghna river at Gazaria, said Habibur Rahman, sub-inspector of Gazaria Police Station.

Pias, 25, of Narayanganj, who survived the accident, said the trawler left for Chandpur from Bauchia Launch Jetty near the Daudkandi Bridge in Comilla around 7:30pm yesterday.

When the trawler reached the confluence of the Meghna river amid heavy storm, the sand-laden boat hit it. The vessel, however, did not completely sink and kept floating near the shore, he said.

A number of passengers managed to swim ashore, but some 15 people, including Pias' three-year-old niece, remained missing, Pias said.

A rescue team of the fire service reached the spot around 12:00am, a fire service official said, adding that rescue efforts were on for the missing passengers.