DHAKA, July 10: Heavy downpour and gusty winds on Thursday impeded efforts to salvage MV Nasrin-1, which capsized at the confluence of the Padma, Meghna and Dakatia rivers in Chandpur Tuesday night.

The day-long rescue efforts proved fruitless as the vessel and bodies of several hundreds of victims remained untraceable, officials of the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority told this correspondent.

Hundreds of relatives of the victims of the accident were lined along the banks of Dakatia river the entire day. They had come to Chandpur from as far away as Dhaka, Dhulia, Gangapur, Deula and Lalmohon in Bhola, the destination of MV Nasrin-1 on its unfinished voyage.

Hopes of recovering the dead bodies faded as it becomes apparent that the strong river currents might have carried the capsized launch further downstream.

Local fishermen were reported to have sighted two dead bodies drifting downstream early Thursday morning. They believed that the bodies were likely to have drifted further downstream.

Corpses and utensils were also seen drifting downstream the mighty Meghna. Reports from Barisal, the southern divisional headquarters, suggested that 14 floating bodies, personal belongings and cargo items had been seen off the riverbanks.

Divers’ frantic bids to spot the sunken vessel, estimated to lie at a depth of 200 feet, proved futile.

A host of rescue vessels, including tugboats, belonging to the navy, the coast guards and the BIWTA, scoured the riverbed with wires and other objects in the hopes of finding the wreck without any success while intermittent rains and stormy weather dampened their efforts.

The rescue teams are said to be using out-dated sonar equipment to locate the wreckage and sources involved in the rescue operation said that factors like river depth and the muddiness impeded the working of the equipment.

Sources in the naval rescue team said that without modern sonar equipment, any effort in recovering the launch would remain futile.

Meanwhile, in an emergency meeting of the rescue teams, it was decided to continue salvage efforts as a naval vessel with latest sonar equipment headed towards Chandpur from Chittagong.