A total of 657 accidents involving river vessels took place in the last 44 years, claiming at least 4,711 lives, State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury has said in Parliament.
He disclosed the information in reply to a question of Treasury bench lawmaker Nurunnabi Chowdhury on Thursday (Nov 14) afternoon. The session began around 4:15pm with Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury in the chair.
The junior minister said 482 more people were missing in the water vessel accidents that took place during the period – from 1976 to 2019.
The highest loss of lives happened in 2003, when 464 people died in 31 water accidents. The death toll was 426 in 11 accidents in 1986, 353 in nine accidents in 2000, 303 in 27 accidents in 1994 and 248 in 28 accidents in 2005.