Bangladesh Hit by Twin Ferry Disaster, 240 Missing
Sun May 23, 2004 11:57 AM ET
DHAKA (Reuters) - Two river ferries capsized or sank in Bangladesh's storm-hit south Sunday and 240 passengers were reported missing as divers began a desperate search for survivors.
One of the packed ferries carrying around 250 people overturned early Sunday on the Meghna river and 50 were rescued, the state news agency BSS said. Earlier reports had said up to 300 were aboard.
A second ferry sank on the same river just one km (half a mile) away and 40 passengers were missing, police said. Six were rescued from that vessel.
The disasters were the latest in a long series in the history of impoverished Bangladesh.
Divers were searching for survivors trapped in the upturned hull of the double-decker M.V. Lighting Sun, which had been sailing to Dhaka from the southern Madaripur area when it was swamped by the sudden storm near Chandpur, 170 km (106 miles) east of the capital.
The other ferry, M.V. Diganta, sank while sailing from Narayanganj, near Dhaka, from coastal Gournadi district. Survivors said the storm hit after it left Chandpur, its last stop before Narayanganj.
Villagers joined the search for survivors, witnesses said.
"I could hear people screaming and chanting 'Allah save us' .....(snip)
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=5227973
Very sad.
OPINION: I couldn't imagine taking a ferry in a storm, but that's me.