At least 19 people were missing after a passenger trawler capsized in the Meghna River near Hatiya upazila of Noakhali on Saturday afternoon, according to local police.
The vessel was carrying 39 passengers when it sank around 3:00 pm while travelling from Bhasan Char to the mainland in Noakhali.
Twenty passengers have been rescued alive so far, police said.
“Among the missing are two police personnel,” said AKM Azmal Huda, Officer-in-Charge of Hatiya Police Station. “The Coast Guard is continuing its search operation to locate the remaining passengers.”
Kutub Uddin, Officer-in-Charge of Bhasan Char Police Station, said they informed the Navy and Coast Guard as soon as the accident was reported.
Rescue efforts are ongoing, but strong currents in the river have complicated operations. Authorities are yet to determine the cause of the capsize.
