Koko-4 launch tragedy - Death toll from launch capsize rises to 83

Five more bodies were recovered on Wednesday raising the death toll from Friday's launch disaster in the river Tentulia to 83. Today, rescue vessels MV Rustam and Hamza jointly started salvage work from 10:00am in the morning.

Koko-4 capsized in the river near Nazirpur launch terminal about 40 kilometres from Bhola district town under Lalmohon upazila on Friday. Over 100 passengers are still missing, local administration sources said.

Rescuers fear many more might be trapped inside MV Koko-4, which capsized near Nazirpur launch terminal in Lalmohon with around 2,000 passengers on board.

The chairman of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority said overloading and mismanagement are the main reasons for the accident. He blasted the owners for what he said was their callousness leading to the disaster.

To collect ticket money, the Koko-4 authorities had stopped the vessel around 20 yards off the bank and tried to offload the passengers with the help of a wooden plank. They even locked the collapsible gate and kept open only one exit. Soon, the passengers panicked and gathered on one side, making the launch droop and capsize.

The Koko-4 was carrying four times its actual capacity, said AKM Fakhrul Islam, chief engineer and ship surveyor of the shipping department. A case was filed with Lalmohon Police Station Monday night in this connection, accusing eight persons. Kamal Hossain, a local politician, filed the case.

BIWTA has suspended its three officials for negligence and giving false information. They are Abdur Razzak, director of BIWTA (reservation and operation), Rafiqul Islam, senior deputy director and also port officer for Barisal port, and Shahjahan Khan, senior deputy director and also commander of Hamza.

Joint Chief of the shipping ministry Jayanta Kumar Nandi, convener of the seven-member committee formed by the government to investigate into the launch capsize, visited the spot and talked to local people including relatives of missing persons.

DATE EXPIRED SURVEY REPORT

The date of survey report on the launch expired on November 5, 2005. According to existing rule, every water vessel must renew survey certificate annually. But the launch was plying on the route for long without such certificate.

OWNERSHIP CHANGED

Tarique Rahman was the first owner of the launch. Then his friend Giasuddin Al Mamun became the owner. Nowadays, Fazlur Rahman alias Bachchu Mollah, brother-in-law of Mamun and also UP chairman of Sachra Union Parishad under Borhan Uddin upazila, is running the operations in Mamun's absence. Bachchu Mollah could not be reached for comments.

COMPENSATION

The BIWTA chairman said they are giving Tk 2,000 against each body and also granted Tk 20,000 for the family of each victim from a BIWTA fund. Families with more than one victim will get Tk 30,000 each, he said.