Launch capsize death toll reaches 29

The death toll from Monday’s launch capsize in Padma River at Munshiganj’s Lauhajang rose to 29 with the recovery of 7 more bodies on Thursday. Divers found the body of a woman around 8:30am today in the river near Mawa Turning Point where ‘Pinak-6’ capsized. The identity of the deceased could not be known immediately. The bodies of three more people were found floating in Meghna River at Monpura, Lalmohon and Sadar upazilas of Bhola this (Thursday) morning. Three other bodies were recovered in Meghna River at Shariatpur and Barisal. Earlier, floating bodies of 22 victims of the launch capsize were recovered from Meghna and Padma rivers at Munshiganj, Chandpur, Bhola, Laxmipur, Shariatpur and Barisal districts from Monday to Wednesday night. Deputy Commissioner of Munshiganj Mohammad Saiful Hasan said that the 29 bodies were recovered from different points of the two rivers after the launch sank near Mawa Ferry Ghat on Monday with over 350 passengers on board. Of the 29, nine bodies were recovered at Bhola, six at Shariatpur, four at Chandpur, three at Barisal, one at Laxmipur and five from near the spot of accident at Lauhajang Upazila of Munshiganj, according to UNB.