At least 65 people died in a ferry accident in a river in Bangladesh’s western Manikganj district on Sunday, after another 24 bodies were found, local media reported on Monday.
Most of the new bodies were found after the ferry was lifted, local media quoted officials as saying. Forty-one bodies were recovered by rescuers late Sunday night.
Rescuers were still searching the river for the missing.
The ferry carrying around 150 people was found sank after it was hit by a cargo ship in the Padma River. Some of the passengers swam to safety.
Deputy commissioner of Manikganj, Rashida Ferdousi, told Xinhua earlier that 20,000 taka (257.2 U.S. dollars) had been given to families of each dead person as grant for burial.
The official said three people, including the captain of the cargo ship, had been arrested for hitting the passenger ferry.
A five-member committee has been formed to inquire into the accident and will submit a report within a week. Bangladeshi President Abdul Hamid, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson Khaleda Zia have expressed their shock for the loss of lives and condoled families of victims.
Ferry services in Bangladesh do not maintain lists of passengers and no one is able to tell exactly how many passengers a ferry carries.
Ferry and boat accidents are common in Bangladesh, which is crisscrossed by about 250 rivers. Ferry is still a key means of transport in the country. Most of the ferries are often overcrowded.
At least 138 bodies were recovered after a ferry capsized in Munshiganj district in March 2012.(Punch)
