DHAKA, Bangladesh

At least one person was killed, and two to three people are still missing, after two launches collided at the capital Dhaka's main launch terminal during a rush of holidaymakers ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr, Muslims' largest religious festival.

"A man's body is in the hospital, and one person is receiving treatment following the collision of two launches in the busy terminal. Two or three more people are still missing, and the fire department is conducting a search and rescue operation," Faisal Ahmed, officer in charge of Kotwali police station, told Anadolu.

The rescue operation remains difficult due to the high number of launches and the rush of holidaymakers returning home in the countryside, according to fire service officials.

"We still don't know how many people are missing because families haven't made specific claims. And there are so many launches that must be cleared for rescue missions. We are collaborating with river police and divers," Khaleda Yeasmin, duty officer of the Fire Service and Civil Defence control room, told Anadolu.

Separately, about 66 people were injured when the Nilsagar Express, a major northern Bengal route train, derailed in the Bogura district's Bagbaria area on Wednesday. One of the injured passengers is in critical condition.

“Ten of these patients have suffered bone fractures. The critically injured passenger may require major surgery. We are considering referring them for advanced treatment elsewhere,” Abdul Halim, an official at Adamdighi Upazila Health Complex, told local newspaper The Daily Star.

He stated that preliminary reports indicate that the accident was caused by a misunderstanding of signals.

Bangladesh usually sees a huge rush through train stations, buses, and launch terminals, particularly in Dhaka, as people leave for villages to spend Eid vacation with families and relatives, putting a strain on the fragile transportation systems. With this, the government announces a seven-day Eid vacation beginning March 17.

Meanwhile, Dhaka experienced a massive rush and shortage of public transportation, with approximately 20 million people running from Dhaka to other parts of the country.

Traffic jams of up to 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) were reported on major routes, including the Dhaka-Tangail highway and the road connecting Dhaka to the northern and western districts.