Nasrin rescue abandoned
Staff Correspondent
The government postponed the rescue operation of M V Nasrin-1, as recommended by the local administration of Chandpur, sources said. The recommendation was made at a tripartite meeting of Navy personnel, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) officials and the local administration yesterday. The meet agreed that work is not possible during the current monsoon high tide and strong currents. The Navy personnel detected the sunken vessel at around 150 feet south of the confluence of the rivers Dakatia, Meghna and Padma near Chandpur Puranbazar. "The chances of salvaging the vessel at this time are nil," said Deputy Commissioner of Chandpur Abdur Rob. But the operation for recovering dead bodies would continue for some more days, he added. "The salvage operation would be suspended tomorrow," said Chairman of BIWTA Abul Hossain Chowdhury. According to a local administration source, around 110 dead bodies have so far been recovered from the offshore areas of Chandpur, Barisal, Laxmipur and Bhola. About 230 passengers have been rescued and 199 are still missing, says a government statistic. The government is yet to declare any compensation for the victims of the M V Nasrin-1 tragedy.
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