Ferry with nine trucks capsizes in Padma River

DE Online Desk
A ferry on the Daulatdia-Paturia route capsized with nine vehicles in the middle of the Padma River in Paturia of Manikganj district earlier on Wednesday.
The ferry named ‘Rajanigandha’ with pick-up trucks and covered vans sank in the river around 8:16 a.m., said Anwarul Islam, warehouse inspector of Fire Service and Civil Defence, according to UNB and bdnews24.com.
On information, divers from the local fire service station rushed to the spot and managed to rescue six people.
A search operation is underway to find the ferry’s second driver, 39-year-old Humayun Kabir, said Talha bin Jassim, an officer of the Fire Service Central Media Cell.
“After the ferry overturned, a large portion of it remained afloat for a while before sinking completely. The Fire Service subsequently arrived at the scene and rescued six people.”
The reason behind the ferry capsize could not be known immediately.
The Bangladesh Navy has also joined the ongoing rescue operations, as confirmed by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
Two BIWTA rescue vessels have been dispatched to assist in the rescue efforts for the submerged ferry, according to Jahangir Alam, a spokesman for the shipping ministry.
A team from the Aricha river port is conducting a rescue operation. Another Fire Service diving team from Dhaka’s Siddique Bazar was also deployed to assist.
BIWTA Chairman Commodore Arif Ahmed Mostafa, along with senior officials, have also made their way to the location to oversee the rescue efforts.