At least 26 die when speedboat overturns in Bangladesh river

DHAKA, Bangladesh — A speedboat carrying about 30 passengers overturned after hitting a sand-laden cargo boat in a Bangladeshi river Monday, leaving at least 26 people dead, an official said.

The speedboat was carrying passengers in violation of government restrictions during a nationwide coronavirus lockdown, said Rahima Khatun, a top government official in the area.

It overturned Monday morning in the mighty River Padma in central Bangladesh while heading for Madaripur district from Munshiganj district, Khatun said.

Divers from various agencies and local people retrieved 26 bodies from the waters and were searching for several others still missing.

Such river accidents are common in Bangladesh, a low-lying delta nation crisscrossed by about 130 rivers, because of lax rules.

Bangladesh is under a lockdown until Wednesday to curb the spread of the virus amid a rising number of infections.