The death toll from ferry capsizal in Bangladesh's Bhola district, 197 km southeast of capital Dhaka, rose to 44, as the divers of Bangladesh Navy and fire service found nine more bodies on Sunday

Crowds of local citizens gatered at the site of the capsized ferry boat. A ferry capsized in Bangladesh's Bhola district on Nov 27, 2009.[Xinhua]

The divers are now searching for more bodies inside the ferry, district officials told Xinhua by phone.

The ferry was also lifted from the river on Sunday, police said.

The ferry was lifted by the salvage ship Hamza on its arrival at the scene from Barisal, a neighboring district and 169 km south of capital Dhaka.

Bangladeshi President Zillur Raman, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina,who is attending the Commonwealth Summit in Trinidad, and leader of the opposition Begum Khaleda Zia in separate messages expressed deep shock over the deaths and extended sympathy to members of bereaved families and also prayed for eternal peace of the departed souls.

Meanwhile, Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan visited the scene on Friday and formed a five-member committee to investigate the reason of the accident of the ferry. The minister ordered the district administration to pay 3,000 taka (about 43 US dollars) to each families of the victim for their burial. Police chief of Bhola district Saiful Hossain told Xinhua by cell phone that cold weather is hampering the rescue operation.

A woman is rescued from a capsized ferry in the remote coastal village Bhola, some 255 kms south of Dhaka. [Xinhua]

A ferry carrying many passengers who were returning home from Dhaka to celebrate Eid-ul-Azha, one of the biggest holidays for Muslim, capsized Friday night in Nazirpur ferry station.

Millions of people have left the capital for their home towns by trains, buses and ferries to celebrate Eid-ul-Azha which falls on Nov. 28 this year in Bangladesh.

Inland Water Transport authorities earlier said about 1,000 people die in ferry accidents every year in the country.

The ferry services never maintain list of passenger and none can exactly say how many passengers a ferry carries.

Locals cry after a ferry, the M.V. Coco-4, overturned in the river Tetulia, near Lalmohon town in Bhola district November 28, 2009. [Xinhua]