The death toll from Saturday’s launch capsize in Kolagachia river in Golachipa uapzila rose to 12 with recovery of five more bodies on Sunday morning.
Officer-in-charge of Golachipa police station Fakhruddin said divers pulled out five bodies from the river in the morning. The deceased could not be identified immediately.Officials at Patuakhali River Port told the UNB correspondent that rescue vessel ‘Rustom’ left Barisal for Golachipa to salvage the sunken launch. It will reach the spot by 2 pm today, they said.
Some eight passengers were said to have remained missing.
The launch, MV-Shathil-1, heading towards Patuakhali from Rangabali in the morning sank in the river, one kilometre away from Kolagachia ghat (terminal), amid stormy weather on Saturday afternoon with around 50 passengers on board.
Seven bodies, including four of women and two of children, were recovered from the river on Saturday.
Five of the deceased were identified as Runia, 20, Rifat, 5, Nipu, 25, Monwara Begum, 50, and Lutfa Begum, 21.
Thirty passengers managed to swim ashore said assistant director SM Badrul Alam of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) of Patuakhali. – UNB
