At least 44 people are confirmed dead and many more missing after a ferry carrying nearly 150 passengers capsized in Bangladesh, police officials and witnesses said on Tuesday. “We are continuing our efforts to salvage the sunken ferry by today,” said Mohammad Jahangir Alam, the officer in charge of Nikli police station in Kishoreganj district, northeast of the capital, Dhaka. Jahangir said the ferry was caught in a storm on Monday and capsized in the Ghorautura river, nearly 180 km from Dhaka. He said that of nearly 150 passengers aboard, only about 25 managed to swim ashore. Rescue vessels of state-run Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority rushed to the spot but strong currents in the river hampered their efforts, witnesses said. Fire fighters, police and volunteers were also trying to help, local newspaper reports said. Senior police and army officials visited the scene, they said. Rescuers said the ferry sank about 50 feet, making it difficult to pull the single-deck vessel above the water and close to the shore. “But we will finish the job as soon as possible,” Jahangir told Reuters over telephone. Salvage operators said more bodies were trapped inside the ferry, which was also overloaded and had its windows shut during the sudden storm on Monday afternoon. This prevented passengers from getting out quickly, they said. Ferry accidents occur frequently in riverine Bangladesh and hundreds of people die every year. Poor enforcement of safety laws means boats are often badly serviced and generally packed well beyond capacity.
