Ferry capsize: Crew member still missing, rescue ship on way to Paturia

One crew member remains missing as a ferry capsized with nine vehicles in the Padma after being hit by a bulk carrier in Paturia this morning.

The second master of the ferry, Humayun Kabir, 39, is missing, said Shahjahan Sikder, deputy assistant director of fire service's media cell.

There were a total of 10-15 people on board and all except Humayun Kabir were rescued, Rab Commander of Manikganj region Arifur Rahman told The Daily Star.

Rajanigandha, the ferry that runs on the Daulatdia-Paturia route, was stranded in the river in the morning due to dense fog near terminal-5 around 8:15am when it was hit by the bulk carrier, said Deputy General Manager of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation's (BIWTC's) Aricha regional office Shah Md Khaled Newaz.

There were seven minitrucks and two trucks on board the ferry when it capsized, fire service official Sikder said.Rab Commander Arifur said divers of Bangladesh Navy are patrolling the river with speedboats. However, the salvage operation of the ferry has not yet begun.

Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) salvage ship Hamza has already left Daulatdia and may reached the spot shortly.

Ferry services on Paturia-Daulatdia route remained suspended for over seven hours since 1:30am due to thick fog, said the BIWTC official.

During the period, seven ferries, including Rajanigandha, got stuck in Paturia and four each in Daulatdia and Madhyanadi.