Salvage ship detects metal object: Death toll hits 42

MUNSHIGANJ, Aug 9 (Agencies): Salvage ship Kandari-2 detected a metal object, presumably a wreckage of the sunken launch Pinak-6 on Monday, six days after the launch capsized with 250 passengers on board.
Search workers are saying the length of the metallic object detected underwater in the Padma near Mawa matches the length of Pinak-6.
The equipment on board Kandari-2 detected the object underwater on Saturday afternoon. The object had shown up scanners for the last two days, but the Kandari-2 equipment has captured a sharper image.
Chittagong port's Chief Hydrographer Manjurul Karim Chowdhury, who is in command of Kandari-2, said the metallic object was found one kilometre downstream from where the vessel had sank.
"A metal object was found near the accident spot but it's still uncertain whether it's of Pinak-6," in-charge of Kandari-2 Navy captain Manjurul Karim Chowdhury said.
Divers are trying to identify the object, he said.
Meanwhile, the death toll from Monday' launch capsize in the Padma river rose to 42 with the recovery of another body from the Meghna in Hatiya upazila, Noakhali on Saturday morning.
Being informed by locals, the divers recovered the body of a man from Islampur Chapla ghat area, said sub-inspector of Chairman Ghat police camp in Hatiya upazila Md Yusuf.
The deceased was identified as Ahamed Khan, 42, hailing from Bhanga upazila of Faridpur district.
Munshiganj Deputy Commissioner Md Saiful Hasan Badal said 123 passengers of the ill-fated launch remained missing until Saturday.
Among the deceased, the identities of two people were confirmed on Saturday. They are Moyeen,3, of Goalkanda village of Shibchar upazila of Madaripur district and his mother Rokhsana Begum,30. The bodies were handed over to their families.