Ferry accident claims 49

2005-05-17 07:48

Galachipa - Officials at the scene of a ferry accident in southern Bangladesh said on Tuesday they had discovered more bodies overnight bringing the death toll to at least 49.

Thirty-eight bodies were found trapped in the sunken ferry by salvage teams who worked through the night to raise the vessel, said local administrator at the scene, Mesbah Uddin.

The salvage operation had now been called off.

"The number of bodies now recovered is 49. The boat has been completely searched and all the bodies trapped inside have been removed. However, we will continue scouring the river further downstream for more bodies," Uddin said.

Earlier, 11 bodies were found following the accident in a remote southern area close to the mouth of the Bay of Bengal.

The boat was carrying villagers to a weekly market, as well as a wedding party, according to reports. It was feared to have had far more than its capacity of 80 people on board.

Officials said on Monday they feared many bodies were washed away in stormy weather and that the true number of dead could be more than 100.

The ferry went down on Sunday morning in high winds and strong currents on the Char Kazal river near Galachipa, about 250km south of Dhaka.

Among the dead were two men who swam ashore but died soon after.

Uddin said it was unlikely any passengers managed to save themselves as the river was about 4km wide at the point where the boat sank.

The river is known locally as Agunmukho river, or 'Mouth of the Fire' river because of the strength of its currents.

Ferry accidents due to overloading and poor design claim many lives each year in Bangladesh. In February, 150 people were killed when a ferry capsized in a cyclone near Dhaka.

At least 3 000 people have died in more than 260 ferry accidents since 1977.

After February's tragedy, Shipping Minister Akbar Hossain pledged immediate action to reduce the number of lives being lost.

He said previously announced measures such as modernisation of old ferries, extra checks to ensure safety certificates are up to date and monitoring to prevent overloading would be implemented straight away.

In March, the Bangladesh parliament also enacted a new law making it possible for the first time to prosecute negligent ferry owners.

The delta nation is criss-crossed by a network of more than 230 rivers and about 3 000 ferries provide daily transport for more than 100 000 people.

- AFP