Gangway Collapses Dueto Overloading
Tourists fall into Naf, 30 hurt
At least 100 tourists fell into the Naf River and 30 of them received injuries when a wooden gangway collapsed at Damdamia ghat (terminal) in Teknaf upazila on Wednesday.
Police and local people said at least 1,000 tourists gathered at the ghat to board the ship, Eagle-1. Though the ship has a capacity of carrying 320 people to St Martin's Island, the ship authorities allowed 600 tourists to board the ship, they added.
On information, Khokon Kanti Saha, executive magistrate and also the assistant commissioner (land), and Abul Hasem, officer-in-charge of Teknaf Police Station, rushed to the spot.
As they were trying to off-load additional passengers from the ship, suddenly, a portion of the gangway with at least 100 people on it collapsed into the river. Many of them lost their mobile phones, cameras, wristwatches, money and other valuable documents.
Hearing the news upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) rushed to the spot and rescued the tourists with the help of BGB personnel and coastguards.
Of the injured, AC (land) Khokon Kanti Saha, Momtaj Begum, Sanaullah, Faridul Islam, Sitara Yesmin, Saimum, Azizul Haq, Anwar and Bilkis were admitted to Teknaf Upazila Health Complex while the rest given first aid at the hospital.
The AC (land) was later shifted to Cox;s Bazar Sadar Hospital. The authorities concerned fined Eagle-1 Tk 50,000 for allowing passengers to board the ship beyond its capacity.
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