At least seven people were killed when two passenger launches collided on the Meghna River in Chandpur amid dense fog early Friday.
The incident occurred around 2:00 am between the Haimchar upazila and the Harina area.
Chandpur traffic inspector of the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), Babu Lal Bauddha, said one person died on the spot, while another died later. The identities of the victims could not be confirmed immediately.
Later, the deceased and injured passengers from the damaged launch were brought to Sadarghat in Dhaka.
Officer-in-Charge Sohag Rana of Sadarghat River Police Station said seven bodies were recovered following the collision between the launches, while several others were injured. He said further details would be provided after inquiries.
According to BIWTA, the Dhaka-bound passenger launch MV Zakir Samrat-3, which had departed from Ghosherhat in Bhola, was passing through the Haimchar area shortly after 2:00 am when it collided with the Barishal-bound MV Adventure-9 coming from Dhaka amid poor visibility caused by dense fog.
Following the collision, passengers from Zakir Samrat-3 were transported to Dhaka aboard another passenger launch, MV Karnaphuli-9. The second passenger died during the journey, officials said.
