The government yesterday formed three separate probe committees to investigate the capsizing of MV Shathil-1, which killed more than a dozen people.
The probe committees formed by the Shipping Ministry, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority and the district administration will now look deeper on the causes of the mishap.
Meanwhile, the death toll of the mishap has risen to 14 after six more bodies were recovered till Sunday noon.
The bodies were identified as Wahida Begum, 26, Rashida Begum, 40, Renu Aktar Liza, 26, Nasima Aktar, 30, Mizanur Rahman, 35.
“Of the 14, two bodies were yet to be identified,” confirmed Kalagachhia river police camp Sub Inspector Abdul Halim.
“Seven out of eight bodies recovered earlier were identified as Rishat, 5, Luthfa, 50, Runia, 20, Manowara, 50, Isahuq, 6, Nipu Begum, 35, and Tinni, 6,” he added.
The vessel, MV Shathil-1, was carrying about 50-60 passengers on Rangabali-Patuakhali route when it capsized at Shikdar Bari Mor between Ishadi and Kalagachhia stations on Ramnabad River at about 3pm Saturday.
Although many of the passengers managed to swim ashore with the help of locals, at least 20 other passengers of the vessel were still missing.
Galachipa acting upazila nirbahi officer Kazi Md Saimuzzaman said Tk20,000 will be aloocated for each of the dead victims to cover carrying and burial cost.
Confirming the reports, Patuakhali Deputy Commissioner Amitav Sarkar said a 17-member team from the fire service and 10-member team of naval forces have been searching the area to rescue the victims.
However, rescue and recovery operation would be begin fully after the salvage vessel MV Hamza, which left Barisal base station for the spot on Saturday afternoon, will reach at the spot around 2pm.
Meanwhile, the Shipping Ministry has formed a 5-member investigation committee, led by Director (conservancy) Muhammad Hossain and including Additional Secretary Md Alauddin, to probe the incident.
It was learnt that MV Shathil-1, owned by former BNP lawmaker Shahjahan Khan, earlier half-drowned after colliding with a Dhaka bound triple-deck motor launch MV Anchal-5 near Patuakhali river port on January 27. Another vessel of the same owner, Prince of Patuakhali, also has similar records.
However, AKM Fakhrul Islam, chief engineer of shipping ministry, said these launches were constructed in 1983-85 and has become outdated now.
“Since 2006, these outdated launches were ordered to stop plying,” he added.
Barisal River Port officer a Shahidullah, said MV Shathil-1 was running with valid route permit and he was not aware of such restriction of plying these types of vessels on the route.
