One dead, over 20 missing after boat sinks off Bangladesh

A cargo ship rammed a Bangladeshi fishing trawler on Friday leaving one crew member dead and about 26 others missing in the Bay of Bengal, navy officers said. The trawler carrying some 29 fishermen sank after being struck by the ship 54 kilometres (34 miles) off the Bangladeshi coast early on Friday, an officer said. “The fishing boat sank after it was hit by another ship. Another boat which was passing by rescued three people, one of them was found dead,” navy lieutenant commander Ikramul Hossain told AFP. About 26 people remained unaccounted for, Hossain said, adding that the ship was flying a Bangladeshi flag. Three naval ships and its divers were conducting search and rescue operations near St Martin’s Island off the southeastern tip of Bangladesh, officials said. Ferry and boat accidents are common in the impoverished country, with overcrowding and poor ship design and maintenance and a failure to comply with rules often to blame.