UNB, Barguna: Five people were killed and three others went missing as a trawler carrying over 200 Muslim devotees capsized in the Payra River at Tetulbaria in Taltali upazila of the district on Friday. The deceased were identified as Nayeem, 9, Yusuf, 55, Amir Ali, 50, Joynal, 55, and Safiz Uddin. All the victims hailed from Kalapara upazila in Patuakhali district. Dulal Faraji, Nishanbaria union parishad chairman, said the overloaded trawler ‘FV Fatima’ sank near the estuary of the Payra around 12:30 pm while heading towards Chaladanga Darbar Sharif in Bamna upazila from Kuakata of Patulakhali. Members of Bangladesh Coast Guard and locals retrieved five bodies from the river while three others remained missing. However, other passengers of the trawler managed to swim ashore. The overloaded trawler capsized due to strong current in the river, said Mohammad Babul Aktar, officer-in-charge of Taltali Police Station. Survivor Chan Miah said they started for the Chaladanga Darbar Sharif in the trawler around 8:45am to attend a mahfil there. On information, Deputy Commissioner M Zahirul Islam and Police Super M Saiful Islam visited the spot. The district administration also provided Tk 5000 to each family of the deceased.
