01 December,2009 11:24 AM IST | | IANS
Overcrowding has been cited as the main reason for the boat capsize in Bhola in southern Bangladesh last week where the death toll has touched 76, with more bodies suspected to be still trapped, media reports said on Tuesday.
The overcrowded vessel sank in the Tentulia river near Nazirpur, some 150 km from here, early Saturday.
Contrary to earlier reports of 1,500 passengers crowding the vessel, the inspector of shipping in his report has placed the figure at 2,500.
They were families rushing from Dhaka to be with their relatives in their village homes in time for Eid-ul-Zuha.
Road accidents involving overcrowded buses led to 34 deaths when drivers of the vehicles lost control, taking the festival-eve toll to well over 100.
"The launch was carrying passengers beyond its capacity and capsized when the passengers were in a rush to get down at a time," inspector of the shipping department in Barisal reported to his director general in Dhaka.
The government has reconstituted the probe team and has sought a report on the boat tragedy within seven working days, The Daily Star said.
