3 Ferry Accidents in a Week Leave 146 Dead in Bangladesh
The death toll from three Bangladeshi ferry disasters in a week rose to 146 Saturday, officials said, as hope faded for 174 people still missing.
Eight more bodies were found Saturday in the Padma River in Manikganj district, near the capital, Dhaka, where a double-deck ferry capsized Tuesday with about 250 people aboard.
Police diver Abdur Razzak said 58 people had been confirmed dead and 144 were unaccounted for. “There is very little chance of finding alive those who are still missing,” he said.
Efforts to salvage the ferry ML Raipura were hampered by strong currents, police Lt. Cmdr. Mahbubur Rashid said.
Meanwhile, in southern Bhola district, rescuers continued searching for about 30 people missing after a boat sank Thursday night in the Meghna River, police officer Mozammel Hossain said.
The week’s first accident occurred May 15, when a crowded ferry carrying a wedding party sank in southern Patuakhali district, killing at least 88 people.
More than 2,000 ferries operate across Bangladesh, carrying about 100,000 passengers a day, the Shipping Ministry said. Frequent accidents are blamed on unfit vessels, faulty design and lax rule enforcement.
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