Relatives and locals are waiting on the shores of Shitalakshya River as the capsized launch is being recovered on 5 April 2021
Relatives and locals are waiting on the shores of Shitalakshya River as the capsized launch is being recovered on 5 April 2021
Accident

Shitalakshya launch capsize: Another five bodies recovered

Staff CorrespondentNarayanganj

The death toll in Narayanganj launch capsize has rose to 34 as five more bodies were recovered from the river on Tuesday.

The bodies were found floating in various places of the river on Tuesday morning, said Nahida Barik, upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) of Narayanganj Sadar.

The UNO said all of the five are male and process is on to hand over the bodies to the families. The family of each deceased will receive Tk 25,000 to perform funeral, she added.

Earlier on Sunday, a Munshiganj-bound launch, ML Rabit Al Hasan with around 50 passengers on board capsized after being hit by an oil-laden tanker around 6:00 pm in Narayanganj.

Around 20 passengers managed to swim ashore after the collision.

On Monday, deputy commissioner of Narayanganj Mustain Billah called off the rescue operation after the sunken vessel was brought ashore by a salvage ship.

Bodies are being recovered from the launch. Relatives and locals are waiting on the shores of Shitalakshya River on 5 April, 2021

Officer-in-charge (OC) of Narayanganj Sadar river police station Shahidul Islam told Prothom Alo that police seized the sunken vessel and are trying to seize the oil tanker.

The Bangladesh Inland and Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) and the local administration have constituted two probe bodies to investigate into the incident.

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