Teenager dead, her younger sister missing in Brahmaputra boat capsize

A teenage girl died and her younger sister went missing after a boat carrying their family capsized in the Brahmaputra river in the Beribadh area of Pakundia upazila in Kishoreganj this afternoon.

The victim is Nila Akhter, 17, of Jaluapara village in Kishoreganj Sadar upazila.

She was a Class 11 student at Gurudayal Government College. Her younger sister, Niha Akhter, 9, remains missing.

According to relatives, the girls' parents -- Abdur Rahman and Nipa Akhter, 40 -- were rescued by locals but sustained injuries in the incident.

Hanif Mia, a neighbour of the family, said the four were travelling on a small boat in the Brahmaputra river around 5:30pm. When their vessel was hit by an engine-powered boat in the Dakshin Charteki area of Charfaradi union, it sank.

Locals managed to rescue the parents and rush them to a nearby hospital, where they received primary treatment before being sent home. However, the two daughters remained missing.

About an hour later, Nila's body was recovered from the river with the help of locals.

Pakundia UNO Billal Hossain said a diving team of Fire Service and Civil Defence began a rescue operation shortly after the incident.

The operation was suspended around 8:00pm and will resume at 5:00am tomorrow, the UNO added.