Two drown, 13 hurt as 2 boats capsize

Two women drowned and at least 13 others were injured when two passenger boats capsized in Rasulpur beel (water body) and Titas River in Nabinagar upazila at the same time on Sunday evening.

The deceased are Kohinoor Begum, 36, wife of Abdul Bari, and Begum Akhter, 40, wife of Phul Mia of Kurighar village in the upazila.

Local sources said two engine driven boats, each carrying 50 to 55 passengers, were heading towards Kurighar village and Nabinagar upazila headquarters from Gukarna Ghat in Sadar upazila on Sunday afternoon.

As the Kurighar-bound boat reach the middle of the water body around 5:30pm, it overturned due to strong current and sank. Two women went missing and at least 10 others were injured in the incident.

At the same time, the other boat, which was heading for Nabinagar sank in Titas River duo to the same reason. At least three passengers were injured in the boat capsize.

Seeing the boats sinking, four engine boats from nearby places rushed to the spot and rescued the injured passengers. The boatmen, later, recovered the bodies of the two women.

The other passengers of the two boats, however, managed to swim ashore.