Tourist Missing After Boat Capsizes in Bandarban’s Sangu River

A tourist has gone missing after a boat carrying visitors capsized in the Sangu River in the Tinndu Baro Pathar, also known as Rajapathar, area of Thanchi upazila in Bandarban.

The incident occurred at around 5pm on Friday (24 July), when a boat carrying six tourists reportedly overturned amid strong currents while the group was travelling towards Remakri. As of Saturday afternoon (25 July), the missing tourist had not been found, despite ongoing efforts by local people and those involved in the rescue operation.

The missing tourist has been identified as Jawad-ul Islam Mahian, a resident of Maskanda village in Mymensingh district.

According to local sources, a group of 13 tourists travelled to Tinndu on Friday after descending from the Alikadam-Thanchi road at the 23-kilometre point. Upon reaching Tinndu Bazar, they were received by a local guide, Gorjon Tripura. Later in the afternoon, the tourists set out from Tinndu Ghat for Remakri in two boats.

Six tourists were travelling in one boat, while the remaining seven were in the other. The two boats proceeded along the Sangu River, a major waterway running through the hill districts and a popular route for tourists visiting the remote areas of Bandarban.

When the boat carrying six people reached the Tinndu Baro Pathar, or Rajapathar, area, it was caught in the river’s strong current and capsized. Five of the passengers managed to swim to safety and reach the riverbank. Mahian, however, was swept away and has remained missing.

Local residents and others familiar with the area have been searching for the missing tourist. The operation has continued amid concerns over the river’s strong current and the challenging terrain surrounding the accident site.

J W Prue Marma, president of the Thanchi Tourist Guide Association, said the tourists had reached Tinndu via the Alikadam-Thanchi road and contacted a local guide. However, according to him, they travelled towards Remakri without completing the registration process and other required formalities with the Thanchi upazila administration.

As a result, the administration did not have prior information about the group, including the names and identities of the tourists, making it difficult to immediately establish the identity of the missing person following the accident.

Thanchi Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Mohammad Abdullah-al-Faisal said a tourist boat capsized in the strong current near Baro Pathar at around 5pm on Friday, leaving one tourist missing.

He said efforts were under way to locate and rescue the missing tourist. The official also confirmed that the group had not completed the required administrative registration and procedures after arriving in Thanchi, which meant authorities did not initially have details of the tourists travelling in the area.

The search operation remains ongoing. The incident has also highlighted the importance of completing mandatory registration procedures before travelling to remote tourist destinations, particularly in areas where river currents can become dangerous and access to emergency services is limited.