Toll rises to 33 in Bangladesh's ferry capsize

Dhaka, Aug 8: The toll in Monday's ferry capsize in Bangladesh has climbed to 33 Thursday as more than a dozen bodies were retrieved since morning.

The confirmed number of dead in the Bangladesh ferry disaster is climbing steadily as rescuers recover the bodies of more victims far away from the site where the vessel sank four days earlier, said Kaniz Fatema, Munshiganj district assistant superintendent of police.

She said the number of missing persons has increased to 131 as of Thursday night.

The overloaded ferry Pinak-6, with some 250 passengers on board, capsized in the Padma river around 11.15 a.m. Monday in high winds and waves amid inclement weather.

Many victims of the accident were believed to be trapped inside the ferry which could not be located despite hectic efforts of four days when the rescuers used both the cutting edge technologies and the traditional methods.

IANS