Launch accident at Golachipa

The capsizing of a launch in Golachipa river of Patuakhali district, which took a toll of 13 lives with 25 missing, is the outcome of our continuing failure to learn from accidents in the past. For instance, the latest tragedy follows the drowning of a ferryboat, a little over two months ago, in Sylhet's Surma river.
Flaws in design, excessive loads and careless navigation are usually the main reasons behind most inland water disasters in Bangladesh. Markedly, another reason has caught our attention, which is the trend of ignoring weather forecasting reports and embarking on a journey through storm-prone areas in a turbulent season.
Reportedly, the ill-fated craft not only had defects in its design, but it is also the same one that went under water as another launch had hit it barely three months ago. The owners had shown clear signs of irresponsibility by bringing it back into service. Excessive greed or profiteering can only lead to such acts of negligence towards the valuable lives of passengers.
Besides conventional causes of seasonal accidents, we stress the need for strictly monitoring passenger-loads, engine conditions, safety gears in possession and weather alert mechanism. Moreover, the owners should be subjected to vigil on compliance with river traffic rules and regulations.