Five bodies found after boat sinks in western Bangladesh

The bodies of five people, including two children, were found Tuesday, two days after a boat sank in the mighty river of Padma in western Bangladesh.

A fire service official at Rajshahi district, some 256 km west of capital Dhaka, told Xinhua that a boat with six people sank into the Padma river late Sunday due to rough weather.

Only one of the six persons swam to shore after the boat capsized, said the official who declined to be named.

"All the bodies of the missing persons have been retrieved this (Tuesday) morning," he said.

According to the official, rescuers of the fire service recovered the bodies of three men and two children from the river.

He said four men and two teens went to see their paddy fields on an island of the river on Sunday afternoon and when they were returning home the boat capsized in a storm.

Ferry and boat disasters are common in Bangladesh, which is crisscrossed by about 250 rivers. Ferry is still a key means of transport in the country. Most of the ferry boats are often overcrowded. Endit