At least 70 dead in ferry disaster in Bangladesh

DHAKA, Bangladesh – The death toll from a weekend ferry disaster in central Bangladesh rose to 70 today in the latest shipping mishap in the South Asian nation.

The official search for more bodies by divers at the accident site was called off late this morning after the ferry was brought to the surface and towed to the shore.

A local government administrator, Rasheda Ferdousi, said they would continue to monitor the river around the accident site as there were still “some missing.” But he would not give an exact figure for the missing.

“Our people are using boats to survey the river for any dead bodies. But here at the scene we are calling off the search as there are no more bodies inside the ferry,” Ferdousi said.

Up to 140 passengers were thought to be on the river ferry when it capsized Sunday afternoon after being hit by a cargo vessel.

The accident happened on the Padma River about 25 miles northwest of Dhaka, the capital.

Ferry accidents are common in Bangladesh, which is crisscrossed by more than 130 rivers.

The ferry, the M.L. Mosta, sank in 20 feet of water before a salvage ship pulled it to the surface.

Rescuers recovered 48 bodies Sunday and another 22 today, according to police at the scene.

Inspector Zihad Mia, who is overseeing the rescue operation, said it was not known how many passengers were missing and how many survived. Ferries in Bangladesh usually do not maintain formal passenger lists.

“We don’t have a clear picture about how many were exactly on the ferry when it sank,” Mia said. “But I think many have survived.”

By this morning, police had handed over 58 bodies to their families, said local police chief Mohammaed Rakibuzzman. At least nine were children, he said.

A Ministry of Shipping statement said an investigation had been ordered.