41 drown in ferry capsize in Bangladesh

The ferry carrying around 150 people sank after it was hit by a cargo ship in Padma. Many of the passengers swam to safety.

Dhaka:  Toll in the Sunday's ferry capsize in the Padma river in Bangladesh has risen to 41, with many people still missing, , Xinhua news agency reported.

According to an earlier report Sunday, 37 bodies were recovered, including that of women and children.

But unofficial sources and private television channel NTV said 48 bodies were recovered so far from the ferry accident.

The ferry carrying around 150 people sank after it was hit by a cargo ship in Padma. Many of the passengers swam to safety.

District chief executive officer Rasheda Ferdousy told Xinhua over phone that the rescuers so far recovered 41 bodies, including nine children. She said the rescuers were still searching for the missing men.

The deputy commissioner said 19 bodies had so far been handed over to their families.

She said 20,000 taka(about $260) had been given to families of each dead person as grant for burial.

Rasheda said three employees, including the cargo master, were arrested for hitting the passenger ferry. She said that the ferry could not be lifted yet. The rescue ship Rostom was on the way to the accident spot to lift the sunken ferry.

A five-member committee has been formed to inquire the accident and submit a report within a week.

Bangladesh's president Abdul Hamid, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairperson Khaleda Zia have expressed their shock for the death of so many people and condoled the deaths.

IANS