An era of inland water transport accidents and casualties: the case of a low-income country

Abstract

Bangladesh has a vast network of inland waterways. This allows easier and cheaper transportation to the people of this low-income nation. However, frequent accidents in inland waterways have caused significant loss of human lives and properties. This study analyzes the accident data of an era (2008–2019) collected from the Department of Shipping of Bangladesh. However, it is revealed that due to lack of a proper accident database, many accident parameters and detailed information are not available. The results indicate that most of the accidents and casualties are caused by collision among the vessels. Besides, the predominant portion of overall casualty is fatality. Moreover, 57.6% fatalities take place during the four months of February to May. Furthermore, around half of the accidents are caused by the cargo ships and trawlers. It is also found that the most accident-prone zone is the southern part of the country. Finally, some recommendations are proposed for improvement of inland water transport safety of this low-income country.