Launch death toll rises to 27

Photo: StarStar Online Report

The rescuers retrieved 27 bodies from the Kirtankhola river hours after a launch capsized at Beltala area near Barisal city this morning (Thursday).

Some of the bodies were found floating on the river and some others retrieved from inside the launch, Barisal Police Commissioner M Akbar Ali told The Daily Star.

The rescuers from the salvage ship Hamza recovered the launch around 4:45pm, our correspondent reports quoting Barisal Metropolitan Police's Assistant Commissioner Haytul Islam Khan.

The Mehendiganj-bound launch ML-Happy from Barisal, with around 100 passengers on board, sank nearly 3km away from Barisal city at about 6:30am as a sand-laden cargo ship SM-Selim hit it from behind.

Nearly 20 passengers still remained missing, Mohammad Nuruzzaman Chowdhury, officer-in-charge of Kotwali Model Police Station of the city, quoted the survivors as saying.

Other passengers of the launch managed to swim ashore.

The rescue vessel arrived at the spot at about 9:00am to recover the launch.

Police seized the cargo.

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