DHAKA, July 12: Rescue workers recovered 66 more bodies of the sunken ferry near Chandpur and downstream between Friday night and Saturday evening, pushing the figure in Tuesday’s accident to 123, reports reaching Dhaka from Chandpur and other coastal districts of southern Bangladesh said on Saturday.

The triple-decked ferry MV Nasrin-1 was overloaded with more than 700 passengers and several thousand kilograms of goods when it capsized at the flood-swollen confluence of the Padma-Meghna-Dakatia rivers on Tuesday night. Over 400 people are feared dead in the accident.

Newspapers in Barisal said 14 bodies were recovered on Thursday and 38 until Friday evening.

Till Saturday evening, the sonar-equipped navy ship, Shaibal was unable to find any trace of the sunken ferry.

Recovery of bodies downstream from the accident side has also been stopped because the bodies are to decomposed said a young man involved in the recovery effort.

“The bodies are too decomposed to be recovered,” said the man.

Fishermen downstream of the accident site have also suspended their fishing activity for the time being, as a number of bodies were caught in their fishing nets.

The ministry of shipping has ordered the transfer of 134 officers and employees of the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) “for negligence of duty that led to the latest launch disaster”.

The order takes effect from Saturday and their replacements will take over in a day or two, decided the ministry this (Saturday) morning.

The ministry also plans to file a criminal suit against officials and employees of the Directorate of Shipping who have issued route permit to 40 unfit launches.

The ministry also decided to set up three checkpoints at different areas concerned to monitor the “load factor” in every launch leaving the Sadarghat terminal in Dhaka.