Launch runs aground in Meghna with 1,500 on board

A launch (river craft) with 1,500 passengers on board ran aground due to blurred visibility caused by dense fog in Meghna River under Muladi Upazila in Barisal district on Friday. Sources at Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA)’s Barisal office said multiple-decked launch ‘Parabat-9’ with 1500 passengers on board got stuck in Meghna after hitting a hidden shoal (island under river water) at Miarchar early in the morning. A BIWTA official, quoting Md Selim, supervisor of ‘Parabat-9’ launch, said it hit an underwater shoal in mid river around 3:00am while heading towards Barisal from Dhaka. BIWTC officials at Chandpur Launch Ghat (terminal) and Barisal Central Launch Terminal said salvage vessels will be sent to the spot. The salvage vessels will try to remove the launch from the shoal and tow it to deep water during high tide in the afternoon, they added, according to private TV channels.