Launch yet to be located
Friday, 8 August 2014
MUNSHIGANJ, Aug 7 (UNB): The divers could not yet locate the sunken launch, Pinak-6, even after four days of the mishap that occurred due to strong currents.
Meanwhile, another salvage ship Kandari-2 has been working to rescue the capsized launch since Thursday morning.
Three salvage vessels - Rustam, Nirbhik and Jarip-10 -- reached the spot earlier, but failed to locate the capsized launch yet.
The mishap took place when the overloaded launch with over 250 passengers on board from Kawrakandi capsized in the river 800 yards off Mawa Ghat (jetty) around 11:15 am Monday due to strong currents while it was heading towards the jetty.
Meanwhile, the death toll from Monday's launch capsize in the Padma river in Lauhajang upazila rose to 29 with the recovery of seven more bodies on Thursday.
Divers found the body of a woman in the river near the spot around 8:30 am where motor launch Pinak-6 capsized. The identity of the deceased could not be known immediately.
The bodies of three more people were found floating in the Meghna river in Monpura, Lalmohon and Sadar upazila of Bhola district in the morning.
Three other bodies were recovered in the Meghna in Shariatpur and Barisal districts.
Earlier, floating bodies of 22 victims of the launch capsize were recovered from the Meghna and Padma rivers in Munshiganj, Chandpur, Bhola, Shariatpur, Laxmipur and Barisal districts from Monday to Wednesday night.
Deputy Commissioner of Munshiganj Mohammad Saiful Hasan told local journalists that the 29 bodies were recovered from different points of the two rivers.
Of the 29, nine bodies were recovered in Bhola while six in Shariatpur, four in Chandpur, three in Barisal, one in Laxmipur and five from near the spot of accident in Munshiganj.
Of the 29 bodies, 16 were handed over to the victims' family members for burial, the district administration sources said.
One hundred passengers were rescued alive while over 132 others were reported by relatives as missing since the launch capsized, according to the information centre set up by the district administration.