Newsman: Sixty six people died after an overcrowded boat overturned in the river Korotoa, in northern Bangladesh. And at least 15 more people are still missing according to the local authority. The victims are Hindu pilgrims. The Hindu community, the second largest religious community in Bangladesh is gearing up to celebrate one of its largest religious festivals — Durga Puja — next month.
About 100 pilgrims were crossing the River Karatoa in Boda area to celebrate a religious festival in a temple when their boat overturned, according to video footage in local media. Just before the accident, onlookers from the river bank were shouting at the boatmen to navigate carefully.
a senior government official in Panchagarh district Dipankar Roy, said ,At least 15 more people are still unaccounted for where the boat capsized on Sunday.
Local police chief S.M. Sirajul Huda said the search would continue.
Some 32,000 pandals were being prepared across Bangladesh, where idols of goddess Durga will be set up to worship during the festival. Authorities have ordered tight security for the temples and makeshift pandals because past celebrations were marred by communal violence in some places
