India, Bangladesh: The Traps of the Brahmaputra | Deadliest Journeys

From the peaks of the Himalayas to the Indian Ocean, the Brahmaputra River stretches over 2900 km, crossing China, India, and Bangladesh. One hundred million people live along its banks and directly depend on it for their survival. In the mountains of Northeast India, its rapids make it unnavigable, and only trails allow for the resupply of villages settled along its banks. Aboard old trucks, drivers embark on a journey filled with all sorts of dangers, skirting precipices and crossing suspension bridges whose wooden planks may crack at any moment. In Bangladesh, thousands of cows are transported on the river on simple wooden boats, while overcrowded ferries play bumper boats to make their way to the docks. The boats in Bangladesh are most of the time made with salvaged materials in huge shipyards where men work in miserable conditions.