50 hurt, many missing by Padma erosion

The river Padma gobbles down land at Mawa point in Munshiganj on Sunday. Photo: Star

At least 50 people were injured and many others went missing after a huge chunk of land fell into the river Padma in Munshiganj Monday afternoon.

Officials said the accident happened while hundreds of people including women and children gathered on the bank of Padma to watch river erosion at Mawa point, reports our Munshiganj correspondent.
A large ruptured area suddenly collapsed into the river around 5:00pm, leaving 50 people injured and an unknown number of people missing, said a BIWTC official.
Nearby speedboats and trawlers immediately rescued many of the drowning people, said Sirajul Haque, manager of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation at Mawa, who witnessed the accident.
He added that an unknown number of people still remained missing.
At least 50 people were rushed to nearby pharmacies and clinics for first aid, said Hafizul Islam, in-charge of Mawa Police Camp.