Feb 19, 2009
Source: Yahoo.com
Ferry capsizes in Bangladesh with 60 onboard
BARISAL, Bangladesh – A small ferry packed with more than 60 people capsized on a river in southern Bangladesh early Thursday after it was rammed by a sand-laden trawler, killing at least three people, police said.
Witnesses saw more than 30 people swim some 650 feet (200 meters) to shore while onlookers using floats made of banana tree logs rescued survivors from the ferry, the ML Happy.
Hours after the ferry capsized near Barisal town, police said it was still unclear how many people were missing, and local media reported conflicting accounts ranging from 15 to 50. Rafiqul Islam, a local port official, said the ferry could carry up to 95 people.
"We don't know how many people are trapped in the sunken boat, but those still believed to be trapped have little chance of surviving," said police official Nuruzzaman Chowdhury in Barisal, 75 miles (120 kilometers) south of the capital, Dhaka.
Rescuers recovered three bodies from the Kirtankhola River, said Chowdhury.
"I survived by swimming to the shore, but I have three young children missing," said 30-year-old Jasmine Aktar.
By evening, a rescue ship was trying to tow the 60-foot-long (20-meter) ferry to shore, where hundreds of onlookers and anxious relatives waited on the riverbank.
Ferry accidents are common in Bangladesh, a desperately poor delta nation of 150 million people. The accidents are often caused by overcrowding, poor boat maintenance, faulty navigation and safety rules that are not enforced.
In July 2003, at least 500 people were killed when a triple-decker ferry sank in the Meghna River in southern Bangladesh. Nearly a year later, a double-decker ferry capsized on the same river, killing as many as 200.
In Bangladesh, even ferry operators often don't know how many people are on board due to sloppy ticketing and casual security.
