Sunken launch recovered, 4 more bodies found

Four more bodies were found today as rescuers managed to recover the sunken launch in Barisal – raising the death toll in the southern district’s boat tragedy to 18.

- Bodies of 4 children found, 8 still missing

- Barisal authorities form probe body

- Rescue work abandoned as launch recovered

All the four bodies were of children – yet to be identified, SM Akhteruzzman, superintendent of Barisal district police, told The Daily Star this morning. “Still, eight people are missing.”

Salvage ships hauled in the sunken launch ashore around 8:30am. Bodies of the four children were found inside the launch’s main hull after hours of search operation, the SP said.

READ MORE: Witness accounts, identities of victims

Meanwhile, district authorities have formed a probe committee, headed by Additional District Magistrate Zakir Hossain, to investigate into the incident.

The launch, that has been made remodeling the main hull of a trawler, capsized in Sandhya river of the southern district yesterday afternoon. Eight people were rescued alive.

After daylong search, 14 dead bodies could be recovered.