Cargo boat sinks in Meghna, 1 missing

An elderly man went missing as a cargo vessel capsized following collision with a passenger launch in the Meghna River in Hizla upazila of Barisal early yesterday.
MV Sundarbans-8, a Barisal-bound launch from Dhaka, hit cargo vessel MV Al-Abdullah near Dhulasar under Lata union of Hizla upazila around 1:40am, said Wakil Newaz, Barisal port officer and deputy director of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority.
The cargo vessel was plying from Mongla to Dhaka carrying 700 tonnes of fertilisers with seven crew and three fertiliser traders on board and nine of them other than an elderly fertiliser trader, swam to the shore safely, said Shah Alam Talukdar, officer in charge of Hizla police station.
On information, another launch from Barisal went to the spot, rescued about 800 passengers of Sundarbans-8 and reached Barisal port at noon.
The launch returned to Barisal port the same day.
An investigation team of BIWTA led by Ashraf Hossain, senior officer (Conservancy and Piloting), after visiting the spot, installed navigation sign-marks for safe navigation on the route, said the BIWTA deputy director, adding that the authority will contact the cargo owner for salvaging their vessel.
BIWTA yesterday formed a four-member body to investigate the incident. The committee has been asked to submit its report within seven days.