Body of 6-month-old child recovered from Ctg canal 15 hours after going missing

Locals have recovered the body of a six-month-old baby 15 hours after the child fell into a canal and went missing in Chattogram city's Chawkbazar area yesterday (18 April).

The body was recovered from Chaktai canal at Asadganj in the city this morning (19 April), some eight kilometres away from the spot where the child went missing in the Hijla canal at Chawkbazar, said locals.

Lieutenant Belal Hossain, chief of the Bangladesh Navy diving team, said, "Locals found the body floating in the canal and recovered it. The family currently has the child's body. Police will take further necessary measures."

According to locals, the body was recovered by some youths after they saw it floating in the Chaktai canal. Later, Kotwali police, Fire Service and Civil Defence officials and the child's father came to the spot and collected the body.

According to Fire Service officials and locals, a battery-run rickshaw carrying the child, her mother and grandmother fell into the Hijla canal at around 8pm yesterday after the driver lost control due to excessive speed.

Although the mother, later identified as Salma Begum, tried to hold her tightly, the child named Sehris slipped from her arms due to strong currents and drowned. Locals immediately managed to rescue Salma and her mother, but the child went missing.

On information, a Fire Service team rushed to the scene and launched a rescue operation. The city corporation cleaners and personnel from the Bangladesh Army and Navy later joined the rescue operation, which was conducted till the body was found this morning.

Chattogram City Corporation Mayor Shahadat Hossain had also visited the scene last night and directed the authorities to give top priority to the rescue effort.

At least 12 people have died from drowning in the drains and canals in Chattogram city in the last five years. The body of one person is yet to be found.