Five killed in trawler-bulkhead collision in Dakatia river

At least five people were killed when a soil-laden trawler capsized after being hit by a sand-carrying bulkhead in the Dakatia river in Chandpur on Monday.

The accident took place at Mominpur area of Bagadi union in Chandpur Sadar upazila. Chandpur model police station’s officer-in-charge (OC), Abdur Rashid confirmed the accident to Prothom Alo.

The deceased were identified as Mobarak Hossain, 36, Al Amin, 35, Nasir Udding, 32, Kala, 35 and Awal Majhi, 50. Four of the dead bodies are being kept at the spot and one has been kept in the morgue of Chandpur Sadar Hospital.

According to the police and eyewitnesses, a trawler owned by Maishadi AMS Brick Field collided with the sand-laden bulkhead at around 7.00am on Monday while carrying soil from Maishadi area to the brick field. The trawler sank in the Dakatia river after the collision. At that time, six out of the 11 people aboard managed to swim ashore.

However, the remaining five died after being drowned in the river. Upon getting the news about the accident, members of river police and a team of divers from the Fire Service and Civil Defence rushed to the spot and conducted an operation and rescued the sunken trawler. They also recovered the dead bodies of the three people from the sunken trawler.

Earlier, two people were rescued with the help of locals but one of them was found dead. Another died on the way to hospital.

Police have seized the sand-carrying bulkheadIqbal-1. No case has been filed in this regard yet, the police said.