C T Online Desk: A boat has capsized in the Korotoa River in Panchagarh’s Boda Upazila with passengers to a temple on board, killing at least 24 people and dampening the Mahalaya festival ahead of Durga Puja.
The toll is feared to rise further as at least 30 others went missing after the accident in the Madeya Ghat area on Sunday, police said.
The victims include 12 women, eight children and four men.
“The river swelled after heavy rains last night. This is why the accident caused so many casualties,” said Boda Police Station chief Sujoy Kumar Rai.
Sujoy said Fire Service and Civil Defence personnel joined the rescue efforts along with the police.
Panchagarh’s Additional Superintendent of Police SM Shafiqul Islam said the number of casualties is expected to rise.
Relatives of the dead and the missing gathered on the banks of the river. Their cry for their loved ones drenched the festivity at Baradeshwari Temple that draws huge crowds from across the region every year on Mahalaya.
A 20-year-old man, who claimed that he could not board the boat as it exceeded capacity, told bdnews24.com that the boat was carrying more than 150 passengers.
“I wanted to get on the boat with my motorcycle, but I couldn’t as the boat was already overcrowded. I saw the boat suddenly flipping sideways mid-river,” he said.
Helping hands and volunteers, including the unnamed young adult, initiated rescue efforts even before the police and fire brigade joined in, he said.
A woman in her 40s also said she could not get on the boat due to overcrowding. “The boat suddenly tilted and sank. We heard people screaming. They all were going to the Puja. I also wanted to cross the river to join the festival.”
Panchagarh district administration has formed a committee to investigate the incident. The administration also opened an information centre to update the families of the victims and missing people.
The phone numbers to contact the information centre are tel:01708397718 and tel:01719347173.
Md Zahurul Islam, the deputy commissioner of the district, said each family of the victims will receive Tk 20,000 from the authorities for the funeral.
