Karatoya boat capsize: Toll rises to 64

The death toll from the boat capsizal in the Karatoya river in Boda upazila of Panchagarh rose to 64 on Tuesday, with the recovery of nine more bodies this morning, reports news agency UNB.

Two of the bodies were recovered from Atrai river in Birganj upazila of Dinajpur and two from Debiganj upazila in Panchagarh, while the remaining were recovered from the area of the tragedy, said Dipankar Roy, additional district magistrate.

Rescue operations resumed at 7:00am and “efforts are on to trace the remaining missing passengers”, he said.

Earlier, SM Sirajul Huda, superintendent of police in Panchagarh, said they had received a list of 40 missing people from their relatives.

Meanwhile, a five-member probe body, headed by additional district magistrate Dipankar Roy, was formed to investigate the tragedy, said Md Zahurul Islam, deputy commissioner of Panchagarh.

The committee has been asked to submit its report within three working days.

On Sunday, the overloaded boat carrying over 100 people, mostly Hindu devotees, sank in the middle of the river while heading towards Badheshwari Temple on the occasion of Mahalaya at around 1.30pm.

Some 25 bodies were recovered from the river on that day only, while many others managed to swim ashore.