DHAKA — A river ferry carrying up to 140 passengers capsized in central Bangladesh on Sunday after being hit by a cargo vessel, killing at least 48 people, officials said. A rescue operation was underway, but it was not clear how many people were missing. The ferry was struck by the cargo vessel at the Daulatdia-Paturia crossing on the Padma River on Sunday afternoon, said fire department official Shahzadi Begum. Rescue teams were deployed and passing boats were helping in the operation, she said. The site is 40 kilometers (25 miles) northwest of Dhaka, the capital. Ferry accidents are common in Bangladesh, an impoverished South Asian nation that is crisscrossed by more than 130 rivers. The ferry, the M.L. Mosta, was submerged at a depth of up to 6 meters (20 feet), said Inspector Zihad Mia, who is overseeing the rescue operation. By Sunday evening, at least 48 bodies had been recovered, Mia said. He said officials had yet to determine how many passengers were missing. Ferries in Bangladesh usually do not maintain formal passenger lists. “We don't have a clear picture about how many were exactly in the ferry when it sank,” Mia said. “But I think many have survived.” A passenger who survived said many people got trapped inside when the ferry sank. “The passengers who were on the deck have survived, but many who were inside got trapped,” Hafizur Rahman Sheikh was quoted as saying by the Prothom Alo newspaper. Sheikh said the cargo vessel hit the middle of the ferry. Authorities ordered an investigation into the accident and a five-member committee has been asked to submit a report within 15 days, the Ministry of Shipping said in a statement. Survivors said the twin-deck MV Mostofa was carrying between 70-150 passengers when it capsized in the middle of the Padma river, local police chief Rakibuz Zaman said. “Some 50 people swam ashore or were rescued by other vessels,” he added. Experts blame poorly maintained vessels, flaws in design and overcrowding for most of the tragedies. Earlier this month at least five people including a minor were killed when an overloaded ferry carrying some 200 passengers capsized in an estuary in the south of the country. — Agencies
