Boat sinks in Bangladesh; at least 22 die

DHAKA, Bangladesh – At least 22 people died when a Bangladeshi passenger boat sank with more than 100 aboard, and the driver of a cargo vessel suspected of colliding with the boat was arrested, officials said Saturday.

The boat sank Friday evening in a large body of water in the eastern district of Brahmanbaria, 51 miles east of the capital, Dhaka.

No passengers were believed missing after nearly 24 hours of search efforts, said Emon Sarker, a duty officer with the district’s fire service and civil defense, who also provided the final death toll. That’s after initial reports said around 50 passengers were missing, citing local officials and media.

“Maybe many swam to safety. There was no passenger list. It happens here. Today, nobody came to us looking for any missing people,” Sarker said by phone.

Bangladesh is a delta nation where water transport is heavily used to move people and goods. But deadly accidents are common due to unskilled operation and poor enforcement of safety rules. The country is crisscrossed by 230 rivers, and during the monsoon season some low-lying areas fill with water and are also used by boats.

Sarker said the sunken boat was still submerged and would be brought to

shore Sunday.

The cargo boat’s driver and two assistants were caught by locals in the Bijoynagar area and turned over to the authorities, said Anisur Rahman, district police superintendent.

A witness said two cargo vessels hit the boat, which sank quickly, Dhakabased The Daily Star newspaper reported.

“I was grazing cattle on the bank. I heard a loud noise and saw the cargo vessels hitting the passenger trawler. I saw the trawler sinking quickly,” witness Nurul Amin told the paper.

AP People watch rescue work after a passenger boat carrying more than 100 people sank after a collision in a large pond in Brahmanbaria district, Bangladesh, Friday. Rescuers recovered at least 22 bodies.