Twenty-one more bodies were retrieved from the sunken launch in the Sitalakkhya River, taking the total death toll from the tragic accident to 26.
Golam Maula Sadeque, chairman of Bangladesh Inland and Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), said divers from local Fire Service and Coast Guard managed to salvage the sunken launch with the help of a salvage ship, ‘Prattay’, and recovered 21 more bodies from it at noon.
However, 11 people still remained missing, said relatives of the missing victims.
The identities of the deceased could not be known yet.
Meanwhile, the divers suspended their salvage operation around 1:30 pm.
Earlier, the bodies of five people were recovered after the launch sank in the river on Sunday.
Dipak Chandra, officer-in-charge of Banda Police Station, said divers managed to retrieve the bodies of five women from the river around 1 am.
Five of the missing people are Anik Shaha, Bikash Shaha, Protima, Salma Begum and Soleman.
The launch, carrying around 50 passengers, sank in the river in Narayanganj when an oil-laden tanker hit the Munshiganj-bound launch, ML Rabit Al Hasan, around 6pm.
The launch capsized right after the collision. Around 20 passengers managed to swim ashore.
Police said the oil tanker could not be seized as it did not stop after hitting the launch.
The local administration formed a seven-member probe body while BIWTA constituted a four-member panel to look into the incident.
Sadar upazila UNO Nahid Barik visited the spot.
The bodies were handed over to the local administration.
