27 killed in Bangladesh boat collision

The incident at Narayanganj, 16 km from Dhaka

A boat carrying 100 passengers collided with a cargo ship in the Shitalakhya river.

Dhaka: At least 27 people have been killed when a boat carrying 100 passengers collided with a cargo ship in Bangladesh's Shitalakhya river, authorities said in a statement.

The incident took place on Sunday evening in Narayanganj district, 16 km from Dhaka. Five bodies were recovered on Sunday and 22 today, according to rescue team officials. Police, Navy, Coast Guard and Fire Brigade personnel have been conducting rescue operations.

Commodore Ghulam Sadiq, chairman of the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), said the sunken boat had been pulled out. According to the footage shown on TV, a large number of families of the passengers have gathered at the scene.

According to sources, the accident took place when a boat named ML Sabit Al Hasan collided with a cargo ship SKL-3 near Soyadpur coalfield in the Shitlakhya river in Munshiganj.

Witnesses said the cargo ship fled after the collision. The district administration has announced compensation of 25,000 TK (29 296) to the families of the deceased for the final cremation.