Relatives retrieve six more bodies

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The relatives of missing passengers in Thursday’s launch capsize in Buriganga recovered six more bodies from the river yesterday, raising the death toll to 46.

They began their search on Saturday as the authorities wrapped up rescue operation Friday morning that utterly frustrated them.

The relatives dragged specially crafted hooks along the riverbed within a radius of one kilometre. They pulled one body Saturday using the innovative technique.

The victims, whose bodies were found yesterday, are Ridoy, 7, Jhumka, 18, Rajib, 8, and Habibur Rahman, 30. A man, aged around 50, and a one-year-old girl could not be unidentified.

The relatives of two more passengers, presumably dead, continued their search till yesterday afternoon.

Humayun Kabir is one of them who was scouring the waters for his brother Habibur Rahman. Habib, along with his five-year-old son Noor Nabi, was on board the launch on his way to an in-laws home in Munshiganj. Noor Nabi’s body was recovered Thursday night.

The relatives of passenger Rajib continued their frantic search for the 12-year-old till yesterday evening.

MV Sourav-1 sank near Buriganga Bridge at about 3:35pm Thursday after a cargo vessel rammed it from behind. The double-decker set off for Taltola of Munshiganj from Sadarghat launch terminal with around 140 passengers on board.

PROBE BODY
Meantime, the five-member probe committee yesterday took depositions of 18 people.

One committee member, preferring anonymity, said the sunken vessel did not have necessary documents. He said the launch had six crew who all survived the accident.

BIWTA officials said they served notices on the owners and crew of the launch and cargo vessel to give their depositions to the probe committee yesterday. None, however, showed up.

They said the owners and crew will be notified again to appear before the committee, adding that legal action will be taken against them for non-compliance.

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