At Least 26 Die When Speedboat Overturns in Bangladesh River

A man walks past the mangled remains of a speedboat that overturned in River Padma at the Kanthalbari ferry terminal in Madaripur, central Bangladesh, on May 3, 2021. Abdul Goni/AP Photo

DHAKA, Bangladesh—A speedboat carrying about 30 passengers overturned after hitting a sand-laden cargo boat in a Bangladeshi river on Monday, leaving at least 26 people dead, an official said.

The speedboat was carrying passengers in violation of government restrictions during a nationwide coronavirus lockdown, said Rahima Khatun, a top government official in the area.

It overturned Monday morning in the mighty River Padma in central Bangladesh while heading for Madaripur district from Munshiganj district, Khatun said.

The body of a victim is carried after a speedboat overturned in River Padma at the Kanthalbari ferry terminal in Madaripur, central Bangladesh, on May 3, 2021. Abdul Goni/AP Photo

Divers from various agencies and local people retrieved 26 bodies from the waters and were searching for several others still missing.

Such river accidents are common in Bangladesh, a low-lying delta nation crisscrossed by about 130 rivers, because of lax rules.

Bangladesh is under a lockdown until Wednesday amid a rising number of COVID-19 infections.