At Least 5 Dead, Dozens Missing in Ferry Accident in Bangladesh

A relative of one of the victims mourns as a ferry sank after colliding with a sand carrier ship in Narayanganj, Bangladesh, on March 20, 2022. Mohammad Ponir Hossain/Reuters

DHAKA—At least five people died and dozens went missing after a small ferry packed with passengers collided with a cargo vessel and sank on Sunday on the Shitalakhsya River in central Bangladesh, the latest waterway tragedy to hit the nation.

Five bodies have been recovered after the ferry sank as it departed from the industrial district of Narayanganj, about 20 kilometers (12.43 miles) from the capital Dhaka, to Munshiganj, said local police official Mohammad Moniruzzaman.

The dead include two women and two children, he said, adding: “The rescue operation for those missing is ongoing.”

Police said they did not know the exact number of people missing, but passengers said more than 50 people had been on board, and some had managed to swim ashore.

People gather at the bank of Shitalakshya river, where a ferry has sunk after colliding with a sand carrier ship in Narayanganj, Bangladesh, on March 20, 2022. Mohammad Ponir Hossain/Reuters

Relatives of the victims mourn as a ferry sank after colliding with a sand carrier ship in Narayanganj, Bangladesh, on March 20, 2022. Mohammad Ponir Hossain/Reuters

Hundreds of people die each year in ferry accidents in Bangladesh, a low-lying South Asian country that has extensive inland waterways but lax safety standards. Nearly 30 percent of the country’s 170 million people commute along river routes.

At least 26 people died in April after an overcrowded ferry collided with a cargo vessel and sank on the same Shitalakhsya River in Narayanganj.

In December, at least 41 people were killed and dozens injured after a packed ferry caught fire.