Rescuers recovered 17 bodies Tuesday after a boat overloaded with religious pilgrims capsized in Bangladesh, killing 68 as anxious relatives waited for news of several passengers still missing.  

The incident on Sunday near the northern township of Boda was the deadliest in years in the South Asian country, which is crisscrossed by rivers where overcrowding on aged vessels is common.

The small vessel was on its way to a popular temple when it flipped over in a river as onlookers screamed from shore, in horrific scenes captured on phones. 

Boda police chief Sujay Kumar Roy said rescue workers including firefighters, navy divers and villagers were searching for miles downstream on the Karotoa River, where the tragedy occurred. 

The boat was carrying around 90 people, of whom around 50 were pilgrims on their way to the centuries-old Hindu temple for a major festival, according to police.