Karatoya boat tragedy: Death toll rises to 64

The death toll from the boat capsize in the Karatoya river of Panchagarh rose to 64 on Tuesday, with the recovery of nine more bodies this morning.

Two of the bodies were fished out of the Atrai river in Birganj upazila of Dinajpur and two from Debiganj upazila in Panchagarh, while the remaining were recovered from the area of the tragedy, said Dipankar Roy, additional district magistrate.

Rescue operations resumed 7am and "efforts are on to trace 20 more missing passengers", he said.

Earlier, SM Sirajul Huda, superintendent of Panchagarh Police, said they had received a list of 40 missing people from their relatives.

Meanwhile, a five-member probe body, headed by additional DM Roy, was formed to investigate the tragedy, said Md Zahurul Islam, deputy commissioner of Panchagarh.

The committee has been asked to submit its report within three working days.

On Sunday, the overloaded passenger boat carrying around 80 people, mostly Hindu devotees, sank in the middle of the river while heading towards Badheshwar Temple on the occasion of Mahalaya at 2.30pm.

Some 25 bodies were recovered from the river on that day only, while many others managed to swim ashore, reports UNB.