Desk Report: At least 17 people, including women and a child, have been killed as a boat capsized in Laiska canal of Bijoynagar in Brahmanbaria on Friday. Police, fire service and local people are conducting rescue operations.

According to local sources, a passenger boat left for Brahmanbaria district Sadar from Champaknagar boat ghat in Vijayanagar upazila around 6pm on Friday. A sand-laden steel boat collided with the boat at Laichka Beel in Pattan Union of Vijayanagar Upazila on the TitasRiver. At that time there was another sandboat behind the passenger boat. It also pushes the passenger boat hard. The passenger boat capsized and sank. There were more than a hundred passengers on the boat.

The injured passengers said the boat that was pushed first quickly fled. Locals recovered the bodies of 17 people, including two children, a youth and eight women, from 8.45 pm to 9.30 pm. Later, the police of Sadar police station, fire service people started the rescue operation with the locals. Those identified so far are Anjana Biswas, wife of Parimal Biswas of Shilbari in Azampur of Vijayanagar upazila, Farida Begum, wife of Judge Miah and Minara Begum of Champaknagar.

Brahmanbaria Deputy Commissioner Hayat-ud-Daulah Khan told reporters at the scene that the families of the victims would be paid Rs 20,000 each. At the same time, a three-member investigation committee has been formed to find out the cause of the accident.

Police accompanied by the fire service and locals are conducting rescue operation.