Death toll from Bagerhat trawler capsize rises to 12

The bodies of seven more people, who had gone missing after a trawler capsized in the Panguchi River in Morelganj upazila on Tuesday morning, were recovered from the river today, raising the death toll from the accident to 12.

Four of the deceased were identified as Abdul Majid, 65 of Kachikata village, Sazzad, son of Shah Alam, Ansar Ali, son of Abdul Gafur and Rafiqul Islam, 35 of Kalikabari village in the upazila while the identities of the others could not be known immediately.

With this, the bodies of 12 people have so far been recovered while ten others still remain missing, said Rashedul Alam, officer-in-charge of Morelganj Police Station.

Being informed by local people, a team of Fire Service recovered the seven bodies from different points of the river in the morning, said assistant deputy director of Bagerhat Fire Service and Civil Defense Masud Sardar.

Earlier, on Wednesday, members of Fire Service, Coast Guards, Bangladesh Navy, police and local people retrieved the body of Rima Begum, 22, wife of Nawab Ali of Putkhali village of the upazila.

"Thirteen people still remain missing," Rashedul Alam, officer-in-charge of Morelganj Police Station told journalists this morning.

The trawler, carrying some 100 passengers, sank in the river on Tuesday morning while it was heading towards Purano thana ghat from Srombaria.