Editorial
Meghna launch tragedy
Shockingly repetitive
We are deeply shocked and aggrieved at the death in the launch mishap that took place at dead of night near Gazaria upazilla of Munshiganj in the river Meghna. We express our heartfelt sympathy to the families who have lost their near and dear ones in the mishap.
The death figure has already exceeded hundred and, it is feared, may rise further as many of the 250 plus passengers of the sunken vessel were missing until Wednesday evening. Unfortunately, the main culprit of the tragedy, a cargo ship, is still untraced. Clearly, the said cargo vessel was flouting the law enacted two years back that prohibits movement of cargo ships along the river routes at night.
The rescue crafts which started their operation late are finding it hard to lift the unfortunate vessel from a depth of some 70 feet from the bottom of Meghna. Regrettably, in a country where tragic launch mishaps are so frequent and take scores of lives every year, we have only two rescue vessels to carry out salvage operations after each such mishap. The shipping ministry needs to look into this limitation in rescue operation of sunken vessels
This latest launch tragedy again points to the failure of the authorities concerned to strictly monitor the laws that control the operation and movement of river vessels. In this case, it is learnt that the launch had more passengers on board than it was permitted to carry, particularly at night.
The state of fitness, qualifications of the master and other members of the crew in charge of the ill-fated river vessel could be known only after the results of the three probe bodies formed by the shipping ministry, shipping department and the BIWTA come to light. Once the findings of the enquiry are in hand, the government must not show any mercy to those found responsible for the tragedy.
That the government has announced compensations for the families of the mishap victims deserves appreciation. But more important is ensuring monitoring and implementation of the laws to ensure that the vessels are fit and not overloaded and that they are operated by skilled crew members.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments