An engine boat carrying over 200 passengers, mostly garment workers going to Sirajganj from Mirzapur to celebrate EId-ul-Fitr, sank in the Jhinai River in Basail of Tangail on Sunday.
A six-month-old child and its mother were injured in the incident that occurred near the Nothkhola Bridge under Kashil Union around noon, according to officials.
Most of the passengers managed to swim to the shore with the help of locals.
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“We rushed to the spot on information and rescued the children and recovered the belongings of the passengers,” said Basail Fire Service Station Master Rakibul Hassan.
The two were injured as the passengers panicked when the boat hit a test pillar of the bridge, say locals and firefighters.
Three boats carrying garments workers and their relatives passed under the bridge. But the fourth one could not make it. It hit the test pillar of the bridge and sank.
“Accidents occurred in this place at least on three occasions. The locals have asked the upazila chairman to remove the pillar several times, but to no avail,” said Kabir Hassan, owner of the boat used during the rescue operation.
