14 dead, 12 missing in Barisal launch capsize

At least fourteen people including seven women and a child died and 12 others were missing as a launch carrying around 60 people on board capsized in Sandhya river in Banaripara upazila of Barisal today.

The deceased were identified as Kohinur Begum, 60, Sagar Mir, 25, Shukhen Mallik, 40, Hira Begum, 26, Mozammel Mollah, 60, Rabeya Khatun, 45, Rehana Begum, 30, Firoza Begum, 50, Joynal Hawladar, 60, Razzak, 60, Shanta, 10, Sattar, 25, and Shahana Begum, reports our local correspondent.

One Saleha Begum, wife of Abdul Majid of Masjid Bari area died after being admitted to Banaripara Health Complex. 

All the victims were residents of Swarupkathi and Banaripara areas and they went to visit their relatives’ houses during the Eid vacation, our Barisal correspondent reports quoting Mustafizur Rahman, an official of the Barisal river port authority.

“It was not a launch at all but a trawler which used to ply on different waterways in the area illegally,” he added.

The bodies of the victims were recovered by firefighters this afternoon while the rescue operation is underway for the missing people, SM Akhteruzzaman, superintendent of police in the district, said.

ML Oishi with around 60 people on board capsized at Dasherhaat point around 12:15pm when a large chunk of soil fell on the front side of the vessel causing it turn upside down, said Ziaul Hasan, officer-in-charge of Banaripara Police Station.

A nine-member probe committee headed by Zakir Hossain, additional deputy commissioner of Barisal, was formed to investigate the incident.

Meanwhile, Gazi Mohammad Saifuzzaman, deputy commissioner of Barisal, announced Tk 10,000 as compensation for each of the victim’s family.