Salvage vessel reaches, search continues
In yet another launch capsize in a span of ten days, at least 12 persons drowned and many got trapped inside the hull of the unfortunate MV Miraz-4 that was sailing from Dhaka to Shariatpur on Thursday with 300 passengers on board. Rescuers saved 50 persons and said that more than one hundred were trapped inside the vessel.

Salvage vessel Prottoy reached the spot and it has located the ill-fated launch MV Miraz-4 in the middle of the river and started rescue operation. Thirteen Navy divers also joined the search.

A three-member committee has been formed to probe into the incident.
This was the second motor launch capsize in only ten days. On May 5 MV Shathil-1with more than 250 passenger capsized in Kolagachhia River near Galachipa of Patuakhali in which seventeen passengers died.Both the launches capsized after being caught in local norwesters. The number of dead in MV Miraz-4 could rise as many passengers were missing until 9 O’Clock last night, said survivors. Munshiganj DC Saiful Hasan Badal said divers had pulled out 12 bodies from the river till 7:30pm and were expecting to find more. Five of the deceased were identified as Jamal Hossain Shikder (55), his son Abid Hossain Shikder (28) of Naria upazila in Shariatpur; Tumpa Begum (30), Setara Begum (50) and Arif (11). The identity of rest of the victims could not be known at that time.

The launch, MV Miraz-4, sailed from Sadarghat terminal of Dhaka at about 1pm on way to Sureshwar of Shariatpur. Two hours after the launch had befum its fateful journey it was caught in a tornado in the middle of the river Meghna River at Daulatpur near Gazaria launch ghat of Munshiganj at 3pm and sank, said Bhaskar Chowdhury, general secretary of the association of inland vessel owners. Officials of the district administration and divers were conducting rescue operation. Gazaria river outpost SI Bazlul Haque along with local people were trying to locate the vessel in the river.

Rescue vessels ‘Pratya’ and Durbar reached the accident spot from Narayanganj immediately after the accident, said Ashfaqur Rahman, Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Bangladesh Inland Water Transportation Authority (BIWTA). The divers of the cost guards located the ship around 6:45pm and started rescue work, reported our Munshiganj correspondent.
Lytton Mia, a diver of the cost guard told a private television channel that he recovered the body of a child from the launch and said many more bodies remained inside it at that time. Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan and the local MP visited the spot at 8pm.

Suresmar ferry ghat has been turned into a pathetic place Suresmar ferry ghat, the destination of the motor launch, turned into a tragic spot after the relatives came to know that the ferry, Miraz-4 had capsized in a storm, reported our Shariatpur correspondent. Relatives of the launch rushed to Sureshwar ferry ghat as they do not know for sure whether their dear ones alive or dead. They cried and prayed for their relatives at the launch ghat. Liton of Sureshwar upazila burst into tears while saying that his brother was coming to Shariatpur on board Miraz-4 along with his family of two children and wife. Many of the relatives like Liton thronged the ghat with the hope that someone would bring some good news to them about their dear ones travelling on Miraz-4.

observerbd