Child goes missing as auto-rickshaw falls into drain in Chattogram

A six-month-old child went missing after a battery-run rickshaw overturned and fell into a drain in the Chawkbazar area of Chattogram city on Friday.

Fire service sources said the rickshaw fell into the roadside drain due to over speed. The two passengers, including the missing child’s mother, were rescued by locals.

However, the child was still missing after four and a half hours of the accident, said Anwar Hossain, assistant director of Chattogram Fire Service and Civil Defence. The rescue operation was still underway at the time of filing this report around 12:20 am Saturday.

Upon hearing the news, Chittagong City Corporation mayor Shahadat Hossain rushed to the scene and instructed authorities to prioritise the rescue operation.

Fire-fighters, a team of divers, and city corporation cleaning staff were jointly conducting the rescue operation.

The child slipped from the mother’s arms and fell into the drain during the accident, and there was a strong current in the water at the time, said witnesses.