Dhaka: The death toll in Central Bangladesh rose to 70 on Monday in the latest ferry disaster.
The official search for more bodies by divers at the accident site was called off late Monday morning after the ferry was brought to the surface and towed to the shore.
Rasheda Ferdousi, a local government administrator said they would continue to monitor the river around the accident site as there were still “some missing.”
But he would not give an exact figure for the missing.
Ferdousi said, “Our people are using boats to survey the river for any dead bodies. But here at the scene we are calling off the search as there are no more bodies inside the ferry.”
Notify that up to 140 passengers were thought to be on the river ferry when it capsized Sunday afternoon after being hit by a cargo vessel.
The accident happened on the Padma River about 40 kilometers (25 miles) northwest of Dhaka, the capital.
Notable that ferry accidents are common in Bangladesh, which is crisscrossed by more than 130 rivers.
The ferry, the ML Mosta, sank in 6 meters (20 feet) under water before a salvage ship pulled it to the surface.
According to Police Control Room at the scene, rescuers recovered 48 bodies on Sunday and another 22 on Monday.
Inspector Zihad Mia, who is overseeing the rescue operation, said it was not known how many passengers were missing and how many survived. Ferries in Bangladesh usually do not maintain formal passenger lists.
He said, “We don’t have a clear picture about how many were exactly on the ferry when it sank, But I think many have survived.”
An official from Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority Jewel Mia said at the scene that up to 140 people were on the ferry when it sank.
Local Police Chief Mohammad Rakibuzzman said that police had handed over 58 bodies to their families by Monday. He also said that at least nine were children.
Bureau Report
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