More than 500 passengers narrowly escaped disaster after a BIWTC sea-truck was caught in a violent storm in the Meghna River while travelling to Bhola ahead of Eid.

After battling massive waves in the turbulent river for nearly an hour, the vessel finally returned safely to the Ilisha ghat.

Passengers, shaken by the terrifying experience, broke down in tears and offered prayers of gratitude upon reaching the pontoon safely. Many prostrated in thanks to Almighty Allah after surviving the ordeal.

Meanwhile, the storm also caused widespread destruction in different parts of Bhola, damaging houses, uprooting trees and disrupting electricity supply after power transmission lines were affected.

The storm, accompanied by strong winds and rain, began around 9:30am on Wednesday in several areas of Bhola Sadar upazila, making the Meghna River extremely rough with huge waves.

At the time, the BIWTC sea-truck Sangu was heading towards Ilisha ghat from Majuchowdhury’s Ghat in Lakshmipur carrying several hundred Eid-bound passengers.

Although the vessel came close to the terminal, it failed to berth at the pontoon due to strong winds and high waves. Sensing danger, the crew tied the sea-truck to a boring buoy in the middle of the river.

The vessel battled the storm for around 45 minutes as waves crashed over it, soaking passengers and triggering panic onboard. The passengers remained in fear and uncertainty for a long time before the weather finally improved.

After the storm subsided, the sea-truck was able to dock safely at Ilisha ghat, where emotional passengers expressed gratitude for surviving the incident.

In a separate development, the storm damaged numerous houses and trees across Bhola. At least 12 houses were destroyed in Majher Char area under Kachia union of Bhola Sadar upazila.

Fallen trees also damaged power transmission lines in different parts of the district, leaving electricity supply suspended in many areas.