A ferry carrying nine loaded trucks capsized in the Padma river in Manikganj's Paturia area early Wednesday amid dense fog.
Anwarul Islam, warehouse inspector of Fire Service and Civil Defence confirmed the news.
He said, “The ferry - Rajanigandha carrying a few pick-up trucks and covered vans sank in the river at around 8:16 am as it was crossing the river on the Daulatdia-Paturia route.”
Talking to the local journalists, Rehena Akter, Deputy Commissioner of Manikganj said that they rescued ten people so far. Among them, four swam to the shore while the fire service rescued the other six.
Meanwhile, Humayun Kabir, the 39-year-old second engine master of the vessel, remained missing.
The reason behind the capsizing of the ferry is still mysterious as the government officials blamed it on the collision with a bulk carrier while the survivors claimed that the ferry capsized due to the night-time water seepage following the fault of the utility ferry.
According to the survivor Hossain, a truck driver on the ferry, the ferry left Daulatdia ghat at around 12:15 am with nine trucks, heading towards Paturia.
He further said that due to dense fog, the ferry anchored not far from Paturia terminal. The ferry sank around 8:16 am as the water level rose amid low visibility caused by a blanket of fog.
Abdus Salam, the manager of BIWTC Daulatdia ghat, said that fog began to set in on this river route from the night, disrupting ferry operations.
He also said, “At about 1:30 am, the fog became denser, making it impossible to see the ferry route markers and beacon lights.”
Later in the morning on Wednesday rescue operations on the sunken ferry were started with the rescue vessel Hamza reaching the scene. There was an embargo on movement of all ferries after the dense fog blanketed the river routes soon after Wednesday midnight.
On information, officials of the local fire service rushed to the spot and managed to rescue six people by 8:30 am, said a duty officer of the Fire Service and Civil Defense headquarters control room.
The State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury said, "Rescue ships Rustam and Prattay are already on the way to recover the ferry.”
Regarding fog lights for ferries, the state minister said those are not powerful enough to see through the dense fog.
"Cases and investigations regarding the use of improper fog lights in ferries are currently ongoing," he added.
Meanwhile, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said a diving team of the Bangladesh Navy joined the rescue operation.
According to local sources, the rescue vessel Hamza rescued only two covered vans. As it had no capacity to rescue the large ferry, another two rescue ships Rustam and Prattay Rostom headed for Daulatdia ghat from Narayanganj.
BIWTC officials told Bangladesh Post that due to heavy fog, the rescue operation had to be postponed.
The rescue operation will be started today ( Thursday) after the two additional rescue vessels arrive at the spot to join in the rescue operations.
Ferry services on the Paturia-Daulatdia route remained suspended since 2:30 am due to dense fog, Shah Mohammad Khaled Newaz, deputy general manager of the Aricha office of the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC), said earlier.
Survivors of the accident in Paturia said that the Rajanigandha ferry capsized in the Padma due to water seeping in through a hole, not because it was hit by any bulk carrier.
But BIWTC officials initially said the ferry capsized after being hit by a bulk carrier Wednesday morning. But talking to the local journalists, at least five out of the 14 survivors said a bulk carrier did not hit the ferry.
Ashique Sheikh, a driver of a cotton-laden truck who was travelling to Gazipur from Kushtia said that the ferry was anchored in the river due to fog and it was waiting for the dense fog to clear. An employee of the ferry shouted to alert others and asked all to jump into the river saying water was rushing into the vessel.
“They did not even provide any life jackets or other equipment to save our lives. I jumped into the water to save my life," Sheikh said adding that he was rescued by locals later.
Sazzad Ali, another trucker, recalled the harrowing experience in similar terms.
“The ferry was stranded at around 1:30 am and some people said it was stuck in a hidden shoal but later we came to know that the (ferry) service stopped due to heavy fog,” he said.
“We remained on the ferry until one of its crew members shouted to inform us that the vessel was capsizing. The ferry slowly submerged as water filled it,” he said claiming there was no collision.
Contacted, the Deputy General Manager of BIWTC's Aricha regional office Shah Md Khaled Newaz said they initially heard that the ferry sunk after being hit by a bulk carrier.
"We formed a five-member committee to investigate the incident. The actual cause of the capsize can be determined after the investigation is completed," he said after being asked about the survivor's versions.
DC Rehana Akhtar said that Manikganj Additional District Magistrate Sanjida Jesmin has been made head of a five-member investigation committee in this incident.
BIWTA Chairman Commodore Arif Ahmed Mostafa and senior officials also went to the spot to strengthen and supervise public rescue operations. BIWTA also formed a five-member committee over the ferry capsize.
Kazi Wasif Ahmed, director (technical), BIWTA, Dhaka has been assigned as the convener of the committee, according to a letter signed by BIWTA Chairman AKM Matiur Rahman.
The committee was asked to investigate the cause of the accident, determine the financial damages, and provide recommendations and opinions in this regard.
They have been directed to submit their report within the next five working days.