Rajanigandha detected 50 feet underwater

Divers have detected Rajanigandha, a ferry which capsized in the Padma River on January 17, under 50 feet of water. Efforts are ongoing to bring the vessel to the surface.

Rescue vessel Prottoy started trying to recover the ferry at around 8am on Saturday. Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation Aricha office DGM Shah Khaled Newaz said, "As the weight of the capsized vessel was more than the capacity of rescue vessels Hamza and Rustam, it could not be recovered before. Prottoy is working from 3pm on Friday. A team of divers detected the vessel. We are trying to recover the ferry and trucks."

Six goods-laden trucks could not be recovered and the ferry's assistant master Humayun Kabir could not be found yet, he said. Till now, rescue vessels Hamza and Rustam have recovered one covered van and two goods-laden trucks.

Utility ferry Rajanigandha left from Daulatdia at around midnight on Wednesday (January 17) with 9 trucks. As the fog thickened, the ferry anchored in mid-river. It started towards Paturia again after 8am on Wednesday. It collided with a bulkhead vessel near Ferry Ghat no 5 of Paturia and capsized. Ten people were rescued. Four of them swam to the shore and six were rescued by the Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD).

/KN/