September 27, 2022 19:12
More bodies were found by divers on Tuesday following an overcrowded boat capsized in a river in the north of the country at the weekend, Bangladesh officials said, raising the death toll to 67.
The boat capsized in the Korotoya River on Sunday followingnoon while on its way back from a Hindu temple located on the opposite bank in the northern Panchagarh district.
Authorities said the death toll rose following divers pulled at least 26 more bodies from the river on the third day of rescue operations. At least 10 people are still missing, according to reports.
Rescuers and local volunteers found 24 bodies on the first day of the search and rescue operations, officials said.
Yesterday, Monday, they recovered 17 bodies, seven of which were found 20 kilometers from the site of the accident. And the private network Sonomi published pictures taken with a mobile phone camera, showing how the overcrowded boat suddenly sank, causing the passengers to fall into the middle of the river.
It is noteworthy that the incidence of deaths due to capsized boats is a common occurrence in Bangladesh. Experts say poor safety procedures and fragile enforcement of safety restrictions are behind these accidents.
Source: agencies