The death toll from the drowning incident at Himchhari beach in Cox’s Bazar has risen to four after the body of another missing tourist was recovered on Thursday.
The body of Mohammad Harun, 20, was recovered from Himchhari beach along Marine Drive on October 22, said SI Mohammad Soleman, in-charge of the Himchhari Police Outpost.
Another tourist, SM Nafisur Rahman Nibir, remains missing as search and rescue operations continue.
Harun was the son of Mohammad Kabir Ahmed of the Bayezid Bostami area of Chattogram.
His ancestral home is in Chanpur village of Senbagh upazila in Noakhali.
Three other bodies had earlier been recovered following the incident. The deceased were Al Mahibur Ibn Mokarram, 24, and Saibul Haque Jisan, 23, both from Uttara in Dhaka, and Md Akash from the Bayezid area of Chattogram.
According to relatives, Jisan was a student of the Computer Science and Engineering Department at the Islamic University of Technology (IUT). Mahibur, son of Mukarram Hossain of Diabari in Uttara, was a BBA student at Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP).
Nibir, the remaining missing tourist, is the son of Nabibur Rahman of Azimpur in Dhaka. He is a third-year student in the Computer Science and Engineering Department at North South University.
SI Soleman said two tourists went missing on the afternoon of October 21 after entering the sea near Marina Resort, adjacent to the Fisheries Museum in the Pechardwip area along Marine Drive.
Lifeguards, beach workers, police and local residents have been conducting search and rescue operations since the incident.
On Thursday, local residents spotted a body being washed ashore by the tide at Himchhari beach and informed the police. Officers later recovered the body with the help of residents, Soleman said.
Harun’s body is being kept at the Himchhari Police Outpost, while the search for Nibir continues.
Ramu Upazila Nirbahi Officer Zillur Rahman said the beach where the incident occurred is relatively secluded.
He added that several local fishermen had repeatedly warned the tourists not to enter the sea, but they ignored the warnings and went into the water.
The local administration is working to raise awareness among visitors about the dangers of swimming in the area, he said.