DHAKA, Feb. 22 (Xinhuanet) -- The death toll raised to 154 from Saturday night's sunken ferry accident in Bangladesh so far, as 29more bodies were recovered on Tuesday.

    According to the private news agency United News of Bangladesh on Tuesday, the launch MV Moharaj was caught in a violent northwester on Saturday night in Buriganga river near Dhaka city on its way to southeastern Matlab from Dhaka.

    Two rescue vessels salvaged the three-story launch on Monday morning, and frog men of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) and Fire Service have kept dragging out more bodies from the ferry.

    Many passengers still remained missing since the launch was said to be overcrowded with over 300 passengers on board, almost doubling its capacity.

    Hundreds of mourning relatives thronged both banks of the Buriganga since Sunday morning to identify the bodies of their ill-fated relatives.

    According to the official Bangladesh News Agency on Tuesday, the survivors were quoted as saying most upper deck and cabin passengers had jumped into the river, but those in the lower deck of the launch were trapped.

    The Shipping Ministry Tuesday formed a four-member inquiry committee to investigate the accident, and the committee will submit a report in 10 days, said a statement of the ministry.

    Bangladeshi President Professor Dr. Iajuddin Ahmed and Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia have expressed their profound shock at the loss of lives in the tragic launch accident, expressed sympathy will the members of the bereaved families and prayed for peace of the departed souls.

    Ferry and boat disasters are common in Bangladesh which is criss-crossed by about 250 rivers. Some 3,000 ferries ply Bangladesh's rivers and are key means of transport, though most of them are dangerously overcrowded.

    Since 1997, more than 3,500 people have died in some 265 accidents in the country. Enditem