Death toll from Bangladesh ferry disaster rises to 26

Death toll in a ferry capsize Wednesday in Bangladesh's Barisal district, some 169 km south of the capital Dhaka, has risen to 26 after another three bodies were retrieved from River Sondha on Friday.

The ferry carrying scores of passengers sank at about 11:30 a.m. local time Wednesday in the river of Sondha in the country's Barisal district.

"Rescuers have so far retrieved 26 bodies from the ferry that capsized Wednesday," said a district administration official who did not like to be named.

"Three more bodies were recovered on Friday. "

The sunken ferry was dragged upon the river bank by a rescue vessel on Thursday.

The cause of the incident has been attributed to the inclement weather conditions.

"The small ferry capsized amid violent winds and huge waves," district's police chief SM Aktaruzzaman had earlier told Xinhua.

Boats and ferries are commonly used as key means of transportation in Bangladesh which is criss-crossed by about 250 rivers.

However, the vessels are often overloaded or badly maintained, and accidents are commonplace.

Some survivors alleged that the ill-fated water taxi was excessively overcrowded Wednesday. Endit