PEC examinee missing

A Primary Education Completion (PEC) examinee went missing after a passenger trawler capsized in the Sandha river yesterday.

The victim, Tumpa, 11, daughter of Gias Uddin Fakir, is a resident of Asowa village under Kawkhali upazila of the district.

Afzal Hossain, member of Ward No 2 under Amrajhuri union, said after attending her PEC examination at a centre in the upazila headquarters yesterday, Tumpa was returning home with some of her classmates boarding on a trawler around 1.30pm.

While crossing the river, the trawler with around 30 passengers on board suddenly capsized in the river due to heavy load.

Although all the passengers managed to swim ashore, Tumpa went missing.

Kawkhali Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Khaleda Khatun said, being informed, three firefighting units from Barishal, Jhalakathi and Kawkhali upazila headquarters were conducting search operations to rescue the girl till filing of this report at 7:00pm yesterday.