In the country's latest boat disaster, no fewer than 24 people -- mostly Hindus -- died when a boat carrying them capsized in the Karatoa river in Panchagarh's Boda upazila on Sunday.
Eight children and 12 women were among the dead. The vessel was carrying 60-70 passengers, polcie said.
Authorities said that at least 30 were still missing, with the body count is feared to rise further.
The district's deputy commissioner, Jahirul Islam, primarily confirmed the death toll from the tragedy that took place near the Awlia Ghat (jetty) at Marea Union.
Boda Police Station's Officer-in-Charge Sanjay Kumar Roy told reporters that they started to investigate what led to the accident.
Stating that the death toll could surge, Panchagarh's Additional Superintendent of Police SM Shafiqul Islam said the victims were going to attend a ceremony to mark Mahalaya, a precursor to Durga Puja.
Hundreds of people die each year in river accidents in the country.
In the previous such accident, at least 26 died in May after an overcrowded speedboat collided with a sand-laden bulk carrier and sank on the Padma River near Kathalbari Ferry ghat in Shibchar upazila of Madaripur.
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