Traumatised people wait for the bodies of their relatives who are feared drowned after a heavily overloaded ferry went down in rough conditions in the Padma in Munshiganj on Monday. (Inset) Relatives mourn for missing family members. sun/AFP Photo As all hopes of getting back their dear ones alive faded away two days into the launch capsize in the Padma, people are now waiting for the bodies of victims feared drown in the turgid waters of the mighty river. Frustration, grief and anger grew among relatives as rescuers are yet to trace MV-Pinak, the sunken launch, which capsized with over 200 passengers near Mawa ghat on Monday morning. The death toll of the launch capsize rose to 17 as 13 more bodies were found floating in the river Padma and Meghna in Chandpur, Bhola and Shariatpur districts on Wednesday. Anger is brewing up among relatives of the missing people, who have been waiting at the Mawa Ghat from the day of the incident, as the authorities could not yet show any sign of improvement in the rescue drive. Rescuers from BIWTA, Fire Brigade and Bangladesh Navy were continuously searching for the sunken boat but failed to trace the vessel till Wednesday night. Two rescue vessels—‘Rustam’ and ‘Nirbhik’—reached the spot on Monday and Tuesday, but they could not begin salvage operation as the launch could not be located. A total of 15 vessels, including rescue vessel Rustam and Nirbhik, tugboats and speedboats are now looking for Pinak-6, according to officials. Now rescue workers are waiting for the arrival of side-scan sonar, a GPS and a sub-bottom propeller from Chittagong port that are used in ocean surveys. A tugboat, Kandari-2, is bringing the equipment to Munshiganj. Survey vessel Jarip-10, to which these machines belong, started from the port on Tuesday but had to turn back because of inclement weather on the same day. The side-scan SONAR device which was now being used can scan up to 75 feet under water. But the side-scan SONAR which was being brought by the Kandari-2 can scan as deep as 250 feet. The salvage workers are therefore hoping that new developments could be made after the equipment arrive. Chittagong Port member (Harbour and Marine) Commodore Md Shahjahan said the tugboat was being delayed as it was pushing upstream in a difficult weather. At 1:30pm, the boat was near Laxmipur, he said. Despite strong currents in the river, the Fire Service people are trying to locate the launch by the traditional method of dragging anchors while divers of Navy and Fire Service are in the water constantly. Navy Captain Nazrul Islam said that he thinks the launch may be gathering silt since it is small and made mostly of wood. “In that case, it won’t be spotted by side-scan sonar,” he said. Thirteen more floating bodies have been recovered in Shariatpur, Chandpur and Bhola on Wednesday. In Bhola, five bodies assumed to be victims of Pinak-6 launch accident were recovered from different places and rivers at the down streams on Wednesday. On other hand, coastguard team rushed to Bonger Char area of Bhola after hearing report of floating a body there on Wednesday afternoon. Among the five bodies recovered from Bhola, a youth has been identified as the victim of ML Pinak-6 launch accident. Sub-inspector Barkat of Ilisha police investigation post said local fishermen of Ramdaspur under Rajapur union of Bhola Sadar saw a body floating in the river Ilisha, a branch of Meghna River, and informed it to police at 9:00am Wednesday. Police using the SIM of the mobile phone accompanied with the recovered body contacted Luthfar Rahman Akand of Kathalia under Jhalakati district. Lutfar Rahman claimed that the number belongs to his son Fahad Akand, 26, BBA student of Dhaka Tejgaon College and a missing passenger of ML Pinak-6 launch accident. Mobassher Ali, Bhola Sadar police station officer in charge, said the body of Fahad Akand handed over to the family members after identification. On other hand, the body of a bearded man aged about 44 years was recovered from Kathirmatha area, two other bodies of a girl about 11-year old and a boy of about 13-year old have been recovered from Vangtirkhal area and body of a boy aged about 14-year was recovered by Coast Guard from Kaliganj areas at downstream of Meghna River under Bhola district till this report on Wednesday afternoon. Selim Reza, deputy commissioner, and Md. Maniruzzaman, district police superintendent of Bhola, Nazrul Islam Mina, Coast Guard commander, confirmed the recovery of bodies. In Shariatpur, five bodies were recovered from Meghna river on Wednesday afternoon. One of the deceased was Jannatul Maowa Lucky, 22, Daughter of Haji Abdul Jabbar Sarder of Chabbishpara village under Jajirapur upazila in Sariatpur. The identity of the others could not be known immediately. Nuria upazila project implementation officer Gobindra Chandra Roy said, “A camp has been built at Pathchor Government Primary High School under the upazila for keeping the recovered bodies.” In Chandpur, three bodies were recovered from Haimchar in Meghna river. Nilkamal Union Parisahd Chairman Hazi Yasin Ratan said locals noticed the floating body in the river in the morning and informed him of it. Earlier on Tuesday morning, bodies of two unidentified people were found floating in the Meghna River at Majherchar in Haimchar upazila. On Monday, overloaded launch, Pinak-6, from Kawrakandi ghat capsized in the river 800 yards off Mawa Ghat around 11:00 am due to strong current while it was heading towards the jetty. Soon after the boat capsized locals recovered bodies of two while many people remained missing. Most of people of the launch were returning to Dhaka after celebrating Eid-ul-Fitr at their village homes. The launch sank amid high winds in the choppy waters where the depth of the river is around 90 feet. At least 100 are feared dead in the post-Eid accident when people were rushing to their work places in the capital. The local administration could not confirm how many people had managed to swim ashore. But locals, who took part in the rescue operation, said 50 to 60 passengers had made it to the shore.
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