Dense fog disrupts Paturia-Daulatdia ferry services

News Desk :
Commuters waiting to cross the Padma River had a harrowing time on Wednesday morning, with the authorities suspending ferry services on the Paturia-Daulatdia route due to dense fog.
Mohiuddin Rassel, manager of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC), said the ferry services were halted from 6am owing to poor visibility.
Three ferries remained stranded in the middle of the Padma, causing immense suffering to the passengers.
The BIWTC official also said 14 more ferries were cancelled on both sides of the route, reports UNB.
Several hundred vehicles also got stuck on both sides of the river due to the suspension of the ferry services, he added. ”The services will resume once visibility increases,” he said.
Ferry services on the Paturia-Daulatdia route resumed after more than two hours’ suspension to avert any possible mishap due to dense fog on Wednesday.
The ferry movement resumed after 8:30am after the fog cleared.
Hundreds of passengers have suffered due to the service interruption. At least two passenger ferries Khan Jahan Ali and Hasna Hena were stranded in the middle of the Padma River because of poor visibility.
Meanwhile, more than 700 vehicles, including buses and cargo trucks, were stranded
in the ghat area waiting for the ferry, said Mohiuddin Rassel, manager of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC).
The fog had covered the area since midnight on Tuesday. On Wednesday, ferry services were suspended from 6am, resulting in long lines of buses, private cars, and cargo trucks on the road till 9:30am.
“The buses and private cars will be allowed to cross the ferry before the rest of the vehicles, so the passengers do not face any further inconvenience.”
Earlier, movement of ferries and launches was halted at 6:00 am on Wednesday as visibility fell drastically due to dense fog, he said.