Man rescued from sunken launch after 13 hours ‘doing well’

Divers on Monday night rescued a man who survived in the water of Buriganga for nearly 13 hours after a launch-capsize incident took place there in the morning, according to UNB.

“Sumon Bepari, 55, of Abdullapur in Munshiganj, was rescued around 10:30pm from Buriganga river,” said Syed Kamrul Hasan, duty officer of the control room at Fire Service and Civil Defence headquarters.

Sumon was immediately taken to Sir Salimullah Medical College Hospital (SSMCH), he added.

A diver involved in the rescue told reporters, “The whole body of Sumon Bepari turned white.”

Sumon, a fruit trader, came to purchase fruits from Badamtali market, UNB Keraniganj correspondent reports.

Quoting an SSMCH physician, UNB correspondent says Sumon is doing well.

The Dhaka-bound MV Morning Bird launch from Munshiganj sank at 9:33am in the river after being hit by another launch Mayur-2 near Shyambazar in Old Dhaka.

The death toll from the launch-capsize climbed to 32 until the evening.

President Abdul Hamid and prime minister Sheikh Hasina expressed profound shock at the loss of lives in the tragic incident.