An overcrowded ferry sank in a Bangladesh river earlier today leaving at least 41 people including 11 children dead as rescuers searched for missing passengers, officials said.
The ferry collided with a cargo vessel and sank within minutes on the Padma river, the second deadly boat accident in a fortnight in the country, which has a history of ferry tragedies.
“Divers have recovered 41 bodies. The dead included 11 children and seven women,” local police chief Rakibuz Zaman told AFP, updating an earlier toll of 38.
Officials said they did not know the exact number of people missing, but said search and rescue efforts would continue through the night, with the aid of floodlights from other ferries on the river.
An official said a salvage vessel was on its way to raise the sunken ferry, adding that the master of the cargo ship and two other crew had been arrested.
The Padma river is one of the largest in the delta nation, and boats are the main form of travel in many of Bangladesh’s remote rural areas, especially in the south and northeast.
Local newspaper Prothom Alo quoted one survivor, Hafizur Rahman, as saying the cargo ship hit the boat 15 minutes after departure, causing it to overturn and trapping many passengers.
“I was on the deck of the ferry and fell into the river. Those who were on the deck were able to come out but none of the passengers inside could get out,” Rahman told the paper.
