Three bodies recovered

Bodies of three workers, who were missing since a cargo vessel and a launch capsized in the Pashur river under Chandpai Range of the Sundarbans on Tuesday night, were recovered yesterday.

The deceased are Shah Alam Sheikh, 50, son of Moslem Sheikh of Uttar Malgachhi village in Mongla upazila, Sheikh Latif, 60, of Kashimpur village in Bagerhat Sadar upazila, and Jewel, 35, son of Sirajul Islam of Labanchora area in Khulna.

Divers recovered the bodies from Harbariya area of the Sundarbans around 11:00am, Deputy Assistant Director at Bagerhat Fire Station Masud Sardar said.

Coastguard West Zone Staff Officer (Operations) Lt Sohel Rana said a joint team of Mongla port authority, Bangladesh Navy, Coastguard and Fire Service and Civil Defence were conducting operations to rescue the sunken cargo vessel and the launch since the morning.

Three labourers went missing after two vessels capsized in the Pashur river during a storm on April 9.

The fertiliser-laden cargo vessel MV Harada capsized in the river during a heavy storm near Harbaria point in Mongla.

Though five crew members of the vessel managed to swim ashore, two others remain missing.

Meanwhile, a launch carrying around 20 to 25 workers capsized near Basecreek area of the Pashur channel during the storm.

Most of the workers managed to swim ashore, but Shah Alam, an operator of the launch, remained missing since then.

Meanwhile, during the rescue operation divers also recovered a beheaded body of an unidentified man.