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Navy divers pulled out five bodies this morning after breaking open a portion of the launch sunk at a depth of 43 metres in the reservoir after the June 29 Maoist attack, Malkangiri superintendent of police S K Gajbhiye said.
Sophisticated equipment were being used to cut open the door of the sunken vessel and scan it thoroughly to look for bodies inside it, police said.
With the weather improving considerably at Chitrakonda during the day after heavy rains on Thursday, the search operation were on in full swing on Friday.
More naval divers joined the search operation being conducted by over 1,000 personnel from the Indian navy, the Greyhound Force, Orissa police, special operation group and the CRPF.
Ten bodies were recovered till Thursday while 23 personnel are still missing. A total 28 of the 66 people, mostly Greyhound jawans of Andhra Pradesh, on board the launch had managed to swim ashore after the Maoist attack.
Meanwhile, Orissa government has firmly ruled out the possibility of the missing men being held captive by Maoists. "We feel the bodies of the jawans are inside the launch, which are being retrieved in a phased manner."
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