4 day labourers go missing as two boats sink in Padma

Four day labourers went missing as two boats capsized in the Padma River near Kumarkhali upazila of Kushtia this morning.

The missing people are Jewel Sheikh (30), Zakir Hossain (25), Rafiqul Islam (31), and Juba (32) -- all residents of Jamalpur village under Bheramar upazila -- our Kushtia correspondent reports quoting Tofazzal Hossain, chairman of Sadipur union parishad under the upazila.

According to the chairman, two boats carrying a total of 13 day labourers were heading to a char of the Padma River for cutting grass, when the two boats sank in the middle of the river around 9:00am due to strong currents.

Nine of the labourers managed to swim ashore, but four went missing, the chairman said.

Shaifuzzaman, assistant director of Pabna Fire Service Station, told our correspondent that a team reached the spot soon after they received information, and started a rescue operation with the help of locals.