DHAKA: Three more bodies were recovered on Friday morning in three districts river water believed to be passengers of the launch ‘ML Pinak-6’ capsized four days ago bringing the death toll to 39.

However, amongst them 23 bodies were handed over to their families while 16 are yet to be identified.

The administration said 126 people are still missing while the rubble of the sunken launch is yet to be found.

Our local correspondents said that body of a woman was found floating in the Padma River in Shariatpur while the body of a five years old boy child was found afloat in Bhola and a youth’s body found in Barishal on Friday morning.

Earlier, 16 bodies were recovered on Thursday and 18 on Wednesday while bodies of two unidentified women were found near the spot after the launch sunken on Monday.

The launch, Pinak-6, was carrying more than 200 passengers capsized near Mawa Ghat in Lohajang upazila of Munshiganj district on Monday morning.

BIWTA has charged six people including the owner of the passenger ferry, its pilot and helmsman with causing death by negligence after the vessel sank.

Of course, Jarip-10, another salvage ship equipped with modern technology, reached Mawa this morning to locate the sunken vessel while other salvage vessels Nirbhik and Rustam reached the spot but failed to locate the launch due to strong currents in the river.

BDST: 1343 HRS, AUG 08, 2014

** Launch capsize death toll 36