Dhubri, May 02: Divers today fished out bodies of five passengers of Monday's ferry disaster here, taking the death count to 108, but the fate of at least 250 more is still not known.
Indian and Bangladeshi officials will discuss the issue of recovery and repatriation of bodies of ill-fated passengers tomorrow.
There were reports that four bodies have been recovered at the banks of the river in Bangladesh.
However, there has been no confirmation from either side in this regard.
The ill-fated ferry, owned by one Syed Ali, has been found to have been running without a legal permit. Inland Waterways officials said the machine-operated ferry was constructed way back in 1994.
Meanwhile, search and rescue mission continued for the third day as over 250 persons remained untraceable and only 22 bodies recovered so far.
"Three bodies were recovered this morning, while two more were fished out in the afternoon. As of now, 42 people have been registered as missing," Dhubri SP Pradip Chandra Saloi said.
The ferry, which capsized after being hit by a storm, was carrying around 380 passengers. While around 80 persons swam ashore, others are feared either missing or dead.
"As per our data, 22 bodies have been recovered," state Environment and Forest Minister Rockybul Hussain said, during a visit to the disaster site.
Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi flew down to Medartary ghat of Dhubri district, the site of the accident this afternoon and took stock of the situation.
However, the victim's families said that Gandhi's visit, instead of being a balm, had resulted in hampering the search operation.
"The anguish over the VVIP visit is logical as search operation has yielded no result. We should be allowed to be involved in the search operation," Dhubri resident Islam Ali, whose wife Rani Begum is still missing, said.
"We urged Rahul Gandhi and the chief minister for thorough search operation so that we will come to know about the whereabouts about our relative", Ali said.
A new 30-member team of the National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) reached the accident spot this morning to help in the search operation.
A senior NDRF officer said the muddy water and swift currents were hampering operations and it was not possible for divers to dive deep into the water.
Meanwhile, in Guwahati, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said the state government would lay emphasis on development of river transport "in a big way as many people use ferry and boats as a mode of transport".
Sources said about 380 tickets had been issued to passengers in the ferry including scores of kids. Only around 80 persons managed to reach the shore safely after the ferry was hit by a storm and capsized.
Indian and Bangladeshi officials will discuss the issue of recovery and repatriation of bodies of ill-fated passengers tomorrow.
There were reports that four bodies have been recovered at the banks of the river in Bangladesh.
However, there has been no confirmation from either side in this regard.
The ill-fated ferry, owned by one Syed Ali, has been found to have been running without a legal permit. Inland Waterways officials said the machine-operated ferry was constructed way back in 1994.
Meanwhile, search and rescue mission continued for the third day as over 250 persons remained untraceable and only 22 bodies recovered so far.
"Three bodies were recovered this morning, while two more were fished out in the afternoon. As of now, 42 people have been registered as missing," Dhubri SP Pradip Chandra Saloi said.
The ferry, which capsized after being hit by a storm, was carrying around 380 passengers. While around 80 persons swam ashore, others are feared either missing or dead.
"As per our data, 22 bodies have been recovered," state Environment and Forest Minister Rockybul Hussain said, during a visit to the disaster site.
Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi flew down to Medartary ghat of Dhubri district, the site of the accident this afternoon and took stock of the situation.
However, the victim's families said that Gandhi's visit, instead of being a balm, had resulted in hampering the search operation.
"The anguish over the VVIP visit is logical as search operation has yielded no result. We should be allowed to be involved in the search operation," Dhubri resident Islam Ali, whose wife Rani Begum is still missing, said.
"We urged Rahul Gandhi and the chief minister for thorough search operation so that we will come to know about the whereabouts about our relative", Ali said.
A new 30-member team of the National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) reached the accident spot this morning to help in the search operation.
A senior NDRF officer said the muddy water and swift currents were hampering operations and it was not possible for divers to dive deep into the water.
Meanwhile, in Guwahati, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said the state government would lay emphasis on development of river transport "in a big way as many people use ferry and boats as a mode of transport".
Sources said about 380 tickets had been issued to passengers in the ferry including scores of kids. Only around 80 persons managed to reach the shore safely after the ferry was hit by a storm and capsized.
