Kushtia: A child went missing after a sand-laden shallow-engine vehicle overturned and plunged into the Padma River in Kumarkhali upazila. The incident occurred around 10am near the Shilaidah Ghat area of Kasba Mouza in Shilaidah Union, close to the riverbank.

According to United News of Bangladesh, three other children who were in the vehicle were rescued alive by locals. The missing child has been identified as Md Alif, 8, son of Mansur Pramanik of the Kasba area in Shilaidah Union. Locals reported that Jihad and Omar Faruk, along with Alif, had boarded the sand-laden vehicle from a nearby block-making yard in the Kasba area.

The accident happened as the vehicle was navigating a narrow road, and the driver reportedly tried to make way for an oncoming motorcycle. The maneuver caused the vehicle to slip and overturn, falling into the Padma River. While the driver managed to escape, locals quickly intervened to rescue three of the children from the water. However, Alif remains unaccounted for.

Efforts to locate the missing child have been challenging due to the strong river current. The Kumarkhali Fire Service and Civil Defence initiated a rescue operation around 11:10am. The vehicle was eventually retrieved with assistance from locals and Fire Service personnel. Nasir Uddin, station officer of Kumarkhali Fire Service and Civil Defence, stated that they launched the rescue operation after receiving the distress call. He confirmed that a diving team from Khulna has been informed and will join the ongoing search for the missing child.