Launch capsizes in Padma: 41 dead

MANIKGANJ, Feb 22 (Agencies):  Death toll from the launch capsize in the Padma river in Shibalaya upazila here Sunday rose to 41 until filing the report at 9.30pm.
Fire Service station officer KM Tarik confirmed the figure. The deceased included 16 men, 14 women and seven children.
The launch, 'MV Mostafa', sank in the mid river around 11:45am after it was hit by fertilizer-laden cargo vessel, 'Nargis-1'.
Even though the police could not confirm how many were on board the ferry, Paturia Dock Supervisor Jewel Rana said that more than a hundred passengers of two buses were crossing the river by the ferry.
Local people rescued 30-40 of the passengers while some others  managed to swim ashore.
Police arrested three crew of the cargo vessel -- Shahidul Islam, Shahinur Rahman and Jahurul Islam -- in this connection. The master of the vessel, Iqbal Hossain, went into hiding.
Meanwhile, the Mercantile Marine Department under the Shipping  Ministry formed a three-member probe body to investigate the incident.
A Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) tugboat had located the capsized vessel and was trying to pull it up, Shibalay Police OC said.
Manikganj Superintendent of Police Bidhan Tripura said that divers of Manikganj fire service, Paturia river police and Daulatdia police camp were running the rescue mission.
Emergency Medical Officer of Shibalay Upazila Health Centre, Bikash Chandra Mandal, said a medical team had been sent to the site.