Boat Filled With Hindu Devotees Sinks in Bangladesh, Killing at Least 51

The ferry, according to Al Jazeera, was filled with mostly women and children who were on their way to a temple before the vessel capsized in the Karatoya river on Sunday. At least 51 of the Hindu pilgrims were killed while dozens more remain missing.

According to reports, the ferry was overcrowded, with police believing that at least 90 people were on the vessel, which is three times its capacity. Heavy rain also contributed to the boat’s weight, dooming the ferry to collapse.

“It was carrying three times its capacity. There were heavy rains in the morning and that is why when the ferrying began, pilgrims packed the boat to make it quickly to the temple,” said district police chief Sirajul Huda. “The boatman asked some people to disembark in an effort to ease the weight-load. But no one listened.”

The boat was making its way to the Bodeshwari Temple for Mahalaya, which marks the first day of the Hindu festival of Durga Puja, when it capsized in the Karatoya River in northwestern Bangladesh in the Rajshahi Division.

Reports on how many people were killed vary, but Deutsche Welle (DW) and Al Jazeera reported that at least 50 people died in the tragic accident, with officials confirming the death toll Anadolu news agency.

Dipankar Roy, the district magistrate, said that 25 people are still missing and that they have recovered the bodies of 16 women and 10 children. Divers were still searching for more bodies on Sunday, Reuters reported, but had to suspend their rescue operation on Monday night, adding that they would resume on Tuesday morning.

A committee made up of five members will be investigating the accident, but Bangladesh’s waterways are no stranger to tragedies caused by overcrowding and poor maintenance.

In December of 2021, over 40 people were killed when an overcrowded ferry caught fire. The three-story ferry was carrying at least 700 people. which was well over its capacity of 420.

In June of 2020, a ferry sank after it collided with another vessel in the capital Dhaka, killing at least 30 people. The vessel was struck by another ferry during a Monday morning rush hour on the Buriganga river.

And in February of 2015, an overcrowded vessel collided with a cargo ship, killing 78 people west of Dhaka, though rescuers were able to save at least 50 people in the tragic incident.