Bangladeshi soldiers recovered 10 bodies in a second mass grave in a military compound in the capital Saturday, bringing to 76 the death toll from an armed mutiny staged by border guards over pay. The number of dead bodies in the grave could rise as the search continued, fire service operations chief Sheikh Mohammad Shahjalal said. "We have so far removed 10 dead bodies. They are badly decomposed and many are mutilated," he said.
"It's beyond comprehension how one human could have done this to another. They not only shot them dead but some bodies were badly mutilated with bayonets," he said. Rescuers uncovered Friday a first mass grave in the military compound that contained 38 bodies.
Another 28 bodies have been recovered in other parts of the compound, including in drains and sewers, following the 33-hour revolt by rank-and-file border security troops that began early Wednesday. Most of the dead were senior military personnel. The latest grave was discovered well hidden in the corner of a garden, Shahjalal said.
"We have to exercise extreme caution when removing these bodies because so many are disfigured. It's not just a matter of shovelling them out," he added. A joint funeral for the military personnel was expected to be held once all bodies had been recovered, and three days of national mourning began Friday.