Bhola, Nov 28 (bdnews24.com)—Tragedy greeted families in Bhola on Eid day as 35 bodies, 11 of them children, were recovered after the MV Coco-4 overturned late on Friday at Nazirpur, some 40 kilometres from the district town.

Ten bodies were retrieved from the hull of the vessel and another 25 from the waters of the Tentulia river throughout Saturday, Eid day, assistant commissioner of Bhola, Nuruddin Al Faruq, told the media. Most of the victims were local.

Some 30 passengers were still reported missing as rescue operations were called off for the day with darkness falling and water level rising with the high tide. Rescue workers said the search for victims will resume on Sunday morning.

Shipping minister Shahjahan Khan reached the scene just before rescue work was suspended. Principal secretary of the prime minister MA Karim was also at the spot.

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina, in Port of Spain attending a Commonwealth summit, expressed her grief at the launch disaster and ordered speedy rescue operation and investigation into the accident.

The president also expressed his sorrow at the tragedy and condolences for the grieving families.

The Lalmohon-bound launch from Dhaka was carrying more than triple its capacity, with over 1,500 passengers, officials and passengers estimated.

Its capacity, as inscribed on the vessel, was 600 passengers in the day time and 446 at night.

Families, trying to reach home for the Eid holiday, were crammed into the hull of the vessel, said those who boarded the launch in the capital. They also said there was barely standing room throughout the decks of the launch.

The launch left Sadarghat at 11am on Friday. Passengers said its hull was damaged as the vessel was mooring at Nazirpur terminal at around 10:30pm.

Dozens of passengers were injured as they tried to jump overboard when the overloaded launch began tilting to one side. Dozens were crushed in the panic.

Police, district officials, fire fighters and locals joined in rescue work through the night, recovering the bodies of three women and seven children from the hull on Saturday morning as the boat was left high and dry during low tide.

Saiful Islam, second officer of Nazirpur Police Station, said most of the victims were from Charfashion and Lalmohan upazilas in Bhola, where families learned of the tragedy in the early hours of Eid day.

Another 25 bodies, including another four children, were recovered after divers began searching underwater for still-missing passengers in the afternoon.

Assistant commissioner Nuruddin Al Faruq told bdnews24.com that rescue vessel MV Hamza of Bangladesh Inter Water Transport Corporation headed for Bhola Saturday morning.

But the rescue ship, coming from the bordering district of Barisal, was yet to reach the spot by Saturday evening.

The government, meanwhile, formed a five-member probe, committee headed by deputy shipping secretary Baitul Amin Bhuiyan, officials said. It has been asked to submit a report within seven working days.

bdnews24.com/corr/su/rah/2008h