1986 Bangladesh MV Shamia ferry incident

1986 Bangladesh MV Shamia ferry incident

A ferry being loaded with passengers in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Date	25 May 1986 (1986-05-25)
Location	Meghna River, Bangladesh
Cause	Overloading and severe weather
Participants	1,000 - 1,500 passengers and crew
Outcome	Boat sank
Deaths	600[1]

The 1986 Bangladesh MV Shamia ferry incident refers to one of the worst maritime disasters in human history^[2] that occurred on 25 May 1986 on the Meghna River in Bangladesh, killing 600 passengers.^[3][4] The incident occurred when the overloaded MV Shamia, a two-decker merchant ship ferry, sank while carrying about 1,000 - 1,500 people from Bhola to Dhaka during stormy weather conditions. Initial reports cited between 40 and 240 dead with 500 missing.^[5][6]

At the end of Ramadan, a fasting month of muslims, many people were returning from their home cities to the capital Dhaka, after celebrating the religious holiday of Eid al-Fitr.^[7][8]

Background

It is believed that cyclone heavily affected the capital of Bangladesh, including its adjoining areas at the time of the accident. The riverboat Shamia was set on sail from Bhola to Dhaka with over 1,000 to 1,500 passengers despite having accommodation for 500 passengers only. Shamia capsized when strong winds struck the ferry in one of the widest parts of the Meghna River.

The President of Bangladesh of that time, Hussain Mohammed Ershad, suspended all double-decker boats within Bangladesh jurisdiction and several officials responsible for issuing maritime-fitness certificates, were suspended for allowing the structural-defective ferries to carry passengers.^[9][10]

References