Kushtia, Bangladesh (BBN)- At least 13 people went missing as a boat carrying 20 people sank into the river Padma on Tuesday in the country’s southwestern Kushtia district, police said.
The boat sank into the mighty river as the people were enjoying a boat ride on the Muslim religious festival Eid-ul-Fitr in the afternoon in Daulatpur upazila (sub-district), a local police official said.
He also said seven persons were rescued by local people while 13 others remained missing. “Local people are searching for the missing.”
A group of 20-22 people hired the boat to go to a shoal that emerged recently into the middle of the river from Bairagir Char on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr, locals said.
As the boat which started for the shoal around 3:00pm (local time) sank after it caught in a violent storm.
A team from district Fire Service and Civil Defence started for the spot to conduct the rescue operation.

BBN/SSR/AD-29JUly14-9:55 pm (BST)