Kishoreganj Motorboat Capize

Death toll 50 as boy's body found, 5 still missing

7 December 2009, 17:00 PM

A Correspondent, Kishoreganj

Locals yesterday recovered the body of a 9-year-old boy from River Diara raising the death toll in Friday's tragic motorboat capsize to 50. The boy, identified as Waliullah, son of Shamsul Haq of Ganadpur village under Dharmapasha upazila in Sunamganj, was found floating about one kilometre away from Mithamohan, the spot of accident. Earlier on Sunday, divers recovered body of a teenage girl. The girl was identified as Mitu Akter, 18, daughter of Ratan Miah of Kanchanpur village under Mithamoin upazila in the district. The body of the girl was also recovered about one kilometre off the accident site. Despite recovery of the two bodies in the last two days, at least five more people are still missing, sources said. A joint team of BIWTA and local administration with the help of locals lifted up the sunken boat -- MV Chanmia -- onto riverbank at around 3:00pm on Sunday, said Mithamoin upazila Chairman Advocate Kamrul Ahsan Shahjahan. There was no dead body inside the boat, he added. Launch Al Helal-1 collided head-on with MV Chanmia on the Diara at Mithamoin Friday morning. The boat with around 80 passengers sank in the river. Earlier on Friday, 47 bodies were recovered and next day one more body was found. Tafiz Uddin of village Ranuakandi in Mithamoin lost his wife Anwara, 32, son Tofazzal, 6, daughter Rojina, 11, and Rahimunnesa, 2. Hamjala, Aklima and Safajulla, children of Md Marus of Golhati village, died in the incident. Harun of Itna lost his wife Sarna, 32, daughter Dalim, 12, and nephew Jihad, 10, niece Zinnat, 8. Mamun, of the same village, lost his sister Ratna, 15, daughter Neela, 5, and sister-in-law Tania, 16.