"Five more jawans are still missing," Malkangiri superintendent of police G K Gajbhiye said.

The vessel was lifted to the surface from the reservoir bed at a depth of about 43 m and pulled to the shore with the help of special gas balloons and towed to the ferry point near Balimela dam on Monday morning with the help of two motor boats.

Special light arrangements were made for the rescue operation, he said.

The balloons were used after efforts to bring a heavy duty helicopter to pull the vessel to the shore failed due to rains and inclement weather, police said.

After the boats reached spillway of the dam, efforts are now on to drag the vessel which is full of mud and soil, out of the reservoir. Thereafter, a thorough scanning would be done to look for more bodies, Gajbhiye said.