Death toll from Karatoya boat capsize rises to 69

The death tolls from boat capsize in the Karatoya river of Panchagarh rose to 69, with the recovery of another body on Wednesday afternoon, reports UNB.

The deceased was identified as Himalay Chandra, son of Biren Chandra of Boda upazila.

Divers of Fire Service and Civil Defence fished out the body from the Karatoya River near Aulia ghat in the upazila, said Dipankar Roy, additional district magistrate.

Bodies of 30 women, 21 children and 18 men were recovered while three others are still missing, he added.

Meanwhile, the five-member probe body, headed by additional DM Roy, got three additional days to submit the probe report, said Md Zahurul Islam, deputy commissioner of Panchagarh.

On Tuesday, divers from three firefighting units recovered the 18 bodies from different spots of the river.

On Sunday, the overloaded passenger boat carrying around 80 people, mostly Hindu devotees, sank in the middle of the river while heading towards Badheshwar Temple on the occasion of Mahalaya at 2.30pm.

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

This is the worst waterways accident the country witnessed after the devastating fire incident in a Barguna-bound launch off the coast of Jhalakathi on December 24 last year that left 50 people dead.