Divers rescued Suman Byapari from a capsized launch after it sank in Buriganga River on Monday, June 29, 2020 Collected

ML Morning Bird had capsized after a bigger launch, named Mayur-2, crashed into it in the morning
 

Divers rescued a man on Monday night as they searched for survivors from a capsized launch 13 hours after it sank in the Buriganga River, killing dozens.

The man was found inside a closed-off compartment of the capsized vessel, Fire Service and Civil Defence control room’s duty officer Lima Khanom told Dhaka Tribune around 10:30pm.

He was rushed to the Mitford Hospital for immediate medical treatment, she said.

Fire Service and Civil Defence Deputy Director Debashish Bardhan told reporters at the scene that the man’s body was soaked in oil. "He could not talk but looked and moved his hands and legs," he said.

State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury said that the survivor was identified as Suman Bepari, a resident of Abdullahpur at Munshiganj’s Tongibari.

“It’s a miracle! Hats off to the divers,” he told Dhaka Tribune.

Suman seems to be in trauma as he has not spoken a word since he was rescued, according to a relative.

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“I waited at the Sadarghat till the evening to trace him. I was returning but started back for Dhaka when the news of one Suman being rescued from the vessel came in,” nephew Arafat Rathan Sajib told Dhaka Tribune.

A total of 32 people has died in the fatal collision between two launches on the Buriganga River, near Dhaka’s Shyambazar, around 9:15am on Monday.

The small launch, ML Morning Bird, was heading toward Sadarghat from Munshiganj when the bigger vessel, MV Mayur-2, from Chandpur crashed into it, officials said.

Morning Bird was carrying more than 50 passengers and at least 20 of them swam ashore after the incident, while the others remained trapped inside the vessel.

Divers from the Fire Service subsequently arrived on the scene and began the rescue operation together with navy and coast guard personnel.

The rescuers throughout the day recovered 32 bodies from the river.

However, divers were continuing the search for survivors and attempts to salvage the vessel until the filing of this report at 11:30pm.