DHAKA - Two dead bodies have been recovered and nearly 50 people are still missing after a launch sank early Thursday in Meghna River at Bangladesh's Rajapur, in Brahmanbaria district, 109 km northeast of capital Dhaka, local TV channel ATN Bangla reported.

Local police said that the launch, with over 50 passengers on board, hit a sunken cargo coming from the opposite direction at about 2 am. Then cracks appeared at the bottom of the launch and it sank.

Some of the passengers managed to swim ashore.

On information, police and divers rushed to the spot and started rescue operation.