The death toll from Sunday's launch capsize in Bangladesh rose to 82 with recovery of seven more bodies on Wednesday, reported the private agency United News of Bangladesh.  

The double-decker launch MV "Lighting Sun" was overloaded with 200 to 300 passengers on board when caught by fierce storms on Sunday night, and the ship capsized in the Meghna River near the southeastern district Chandpur, some 170 km from the capital Dhaka, on Sunday before dawn.

Some 50 people managed to swim to safety. Except for the bodies retrieved from the sunken ferry and the river, about 100 more passengers are still missing.

Chandpur administration feared the mighty river Meghna might have taken away the missing passengers to the downstream falling in the Bay of Bengal.

Police, however, thought two of the newly discovered bodies might be the passengers of another launch MV "Diganto Express," which also sank in the river only two km north of where the Lighting Sun overturned on Sunday.

Rescue vessels started salvage operation Wednesday for the ill-fated MV Diganto, as it sank with some 40 passengers on board during the inclement weather.

The Daily Star on Wednesday said 20 passengers had been listed as missing from MV Diganto, while local people are vexed over the late rescue work of the vessel, as all eyes were focused on MV Lighting Sun.

(Xinhua News Agency May 27, 2004)