Dhaka, Sep 27: The number of deaths due to a boat capsize in Bangladesh's Karatoya river increased to 61 on Tuesday, after 10 more bodies were recovered, a senior police official said.

The official told Xinhua news agency said the bodies were recovered from several parts of the Karatoya river in the Panchagarh district, 468 km away from the capital Dhaka. Bangladesh: Boat Capsizes in Karatoya River in Panchagarh, 51 Killed; Several Still Missing.

The search operation is still underway for the five to six people still missing, he said, adding the vessel has been dragged to the bank.

SM Sirajul Huda, superintendent of Panchagarh District Police, earlier said the jam-packed boat, carrying some 100 passengers, overturned due to overloading and sank on Sunday afternoon.

Ferry and boat disasters are common in Bangladesh.

Ferries are still a key means of transport in the South Asian country and most of them are often overcrowded.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 27, 2022 07:26 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).