Four people die in Chandpur launch collision

At least four people were killed when two passenger launches—Zakir Samrat-3 and Adventure-9—collided in heavy fog on the Meghna River in the Harina area of Chandpur Sadar.

The collision took place at around 2:00am. The identities of the victims could not be confirmed immediately, as both launches departed for their destinations soon after the incident.

Chandpur BIWTA Deputy Director Babu Lal Vaidya said the accident occurred due to poor visibility caused by dense fog on the Meghna. Several others were injured, he added.

In a separate incident, another passenger launch, Imam Hasan-5, was involved in an accident while returning to Chandpur amid thick fog.

On Thursday night, the launch collided head-on with a sand-laden bulkhead anchored in the Mohanpur area of the Meghna River in Matlab Uttar upazila. Despite carrying more than 1,000 passengers at the time, no casualties were reported.