Home ›› 29 Dec 2022 ›› Nation
Poor visibility caused by dense fogs disrupted ferry movements for five hours on Paturia-Dauladia and Aricha-Kazirhat routes early Wednesday, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) officials said.
“Dense fog blanketed the river routes, forcing us to suspend the ferry movements at around 5.45 AM today . . . the services were resumed five hours later,” BIWTC’s deputy general manager Shah Mohammad Khaled Newaz said.
He said after the sunrise the fog density was increased and the routes appeared “almost invisible” when 14 ferries, which were to operate during the subsequent hours, were asked to remain stationed at terminals or on the midstream.
The official said one of the ferries, Rojonigandha, was stranded in the midstream of the Padma River with vehicles and passengers during the period.
Officials said the fog simultaneously forced suspension of movement of other vessels like engine-run country boats and launches.
They said the visibility largely returned at about 10.30 am.
Newaz said the suspension of the ferry movements elongated queues of vehicles including passenger buses on both ends of the routes.
He said BITWC, however, deployed five extra ferries including three big sized Ro-Ro ones to clear the huge backlog of transports in a quicker time for the Paturia-Daulatdia route alongside its regular 12 ferries.
