Rescuers recovered four bodies late Sunday night from the Buriganga River, where a waterbus carrying around 100 passengers sank after being hit by a sand-laden bulkhead on Sunday night.

The deceased are a woman, two men, and a minor boy. Their identities could not be known immediately.  

Brig Gen Dr Quazi Md Rashid-Un-Nabi, director of Sir Salimullah Medical College Mitford Hospital, confirmed the development saying that the bodies were kept at the hospital morgue for autopsy. They were brought in dead.

Eight people were rescued alive from the river and admitted to the hospital, with three of them undergoing treatment in unconscious condition while the rest were released after receiving treatment.

The waterbus sank around 8:15pm, said Anwarul Islam, warehouse inspector of the Fire Service and Civil Defence headquarters media cell.

On information, three firefighting units from Sadarghat and Siddik Bazar fire stations rushed to the spot to carry out rescue operations. Moreover, divers from the Coast Guard joined the fire service workers to accelerate the rescue operation.  

As it capsized close to the river bank, most passengers managed to swim ashore.

The waterbus was heading towards Keraniganj's Nagarmahal from Waizghat for its last trip of the day carrying over 100 passengers when it was hit by a sand-laden bulkhead, said UNB's Keraniganj correspondent.

Dakshin Keraniganj police station's OC Mohammad Shah Zaman said they believe most passengers managed to swim ashore.