Horrifying Video Shows Ferry Passengers Trying to Signal Cargo Ship as it Forces Them Underwater

The incident happened on the Shitalakhsya River in the industrial district Narayanganj, about 12 miles from the capital Dhaka.

The ML Ashrafuddin, a small ferry with around 50 people packed on board departed the port headed for Munshiganj, about 8 miles down river — when it ran into the path of the gargantuan Rupshi-9.

The video, captured by passengers aboard another flanking ferry, shows the Ashrafuddin being skewered and dragged by the oblivious cargo ship, as passengers about both ferries fruitlessly scream and wave at the driver, way out of sight up in the Rupshi's cockpit.

The doomed ferry is pushed along the surface of the water by the cargo ship's bow, until inevitably, it is forced beneath the river.

WARNING: Disturbing Footage

Frantic passengers can be seen diving off at the last moment, while some never even get the chance, trapped on board as the ferry sinks.

One survivor, Abu Taher, who managed to swim to shore, told Prothom Alo that the cargo ship had hit them from behind, and had dragged them for 50 meters before the vessel went underwater.

Police are unsure how many were aboard, but believe it was between 30 and 50.

Five people have already been confirmed dead, Reuters reported, including two children, a man and a woman, whose bodies were pulled from the river. A fifth victim later died in hospital.

Dozens more are still missing.

Fatal maritime accidents are a tragically common occurrence in low-lying Bangladesh — the so-called 'Land of Rivers' — where almost 30 per cent of the country's 170 million population use the waterways to commute... and where safety standards are infamously lax.

This latest tragedy is the fifth major accident in the last year alone: In April of last year, in eerily similar circumstances, a ferry with about 50 on board was stuck by a cargo vessel on the very same river, killing at least 34.

The following month a large speedboat carrying 36 collided with a cargo ship carrying sand, resulting in at least 26 deaths

In December, at least 41 were killed when their packed ferry caught fire; while in January a trawler carrying 70 collided with yet another ferry, which left at least 9 dead.