Toll in Bangladesh ferry disaster rises to 36

Thirty-six bodies have so far been recovered from the Baleshwar river in coastal Pirojpur district where a ferry, MV Subha, capsized on Thursday night with some 150 passengers on board.

Two of the bodies were found about 50 km downstream near the Bay of Bengal, said a report from Pirojpur yesterday.

The overloaded double-decker, coming from Patharghata sub-district, capsized after being hit by a nor'wester.

The sunken ferry could not be salvaged until yesterday evening after a frantic search by divers. Another salvage ship, the MV Subhan, yesterday joined MV Hamza in trying to locate the ferry.

Sources at the Barisal divisional headquarters said the sunken passenger vessel was reportedly located under 150 feet of water in the river. The ferry headed into a storm 45 minutes after it left Chardoani and sank at Math-Baleshwar between Mathbaria and Kathalia upazilas, according to the survivors.

The master of the ferry, Emdad Hossain, was yesterday quoted by The Daily Star as saying that the passengers could not come out of the vessel as its doors and windows were closed because of the gusty wind. He said it took less than two minutes for the ship to sink after it tipped as the wind hit it from the west.

"I do not know how I escaped while all my assistants died; but I can tell you it took less time than I could have ever imagined. I was holding on to some wooden furniture and praying to God in the turbulent water of the river," said Hossain, denying any overloading of the ferry.

None of the missing 13 staff of MV Subha could be traced, said Abdullah Al Azad Chowdhury, police superintendent of Pirojpur. Strong currents and high waves are hampering rescue operations, said Mohammod Zahirul Islam, a local government official.

Rescuers believe many of the passengers have been trapped inside the capsized ferry. A three-member committee has been formed to probe the accident.

Officials said Shipping Minister Akbar Hossain, who is in charge of river transport, visited the accident site yesterday.

Meanwhile, hundreds of people gathered on the banks of Baleshwar to learn the fate of the passengers. Desperate officials were seen trying to persuade local fishermen to comb the riverbed with their fishing nets.

But the fishermen remained unmoved despite promises of compensation by police and Pirojpur district administration for damage to their nets during the search.