Mongla, 19 May (V7N) - A late-night collision between two trawlers on the Mongla River has left three to four passengers missing, sparking intense frustration among local residents and survivors. The accident occurred on Monday night when an empty vessel crashed into a passenger-laden trawler carrying 15 to 20 commuters across the river channel.
According to survivors, the empty trawler was traveling at high speed when it rammed into their boat, throwing everyone on board into the water. While the majority of the passengers managed to swim to safety, several individuals could not be accounted for and are feared lost in the current.
The victims have leveled serious allegations of negligence against the operator of the colliding vessel. Instead of rendering aid to the drowning passengers, the empty trawler reportedly fled the scene immediately, heading straight to the opposite bank to escape accountability.
Adding to the survivors' anger, nearby boatmen and the local trawler association stationed at the river ghats failed to launch any immediate rescue efforts. Passengers criticized the complete lack of safety measures, noting that neither trawler was equipped with navigation lights, which they blame as the primary cause of the nighttime disaster.
The affected passengers have been identified as local Export Processing Zone (EPZ) factory workers who rely on the river transport for their daily commute. Frustrated workers noted that similar near-misses and accidents have occurred on this specific water route in the past due to a persistent lack of monitoring and safety enforcement by the authorities.
Upon receiving news of the incident, first responders from the Bangladesh Police, Fire Service, and Bangladesh Navy quickly mobilized to the riverbank. Mongla Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md. Atiqur Rahman stated that law enforcement is currently interviewing eyewitnesses and boatmen, though official search and diving operations are still being organized to verify the exact number of missing persons.
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