BARISAL, Bangladesh — A small ferry carrying about 60 passengers capsized on a river in southern Bangladesh early today, killing at least 27 people, officials said.
The 60-foot-long ferry — which was rammed by a sand-laden trawler — was towed to shore and searched for bodies, but authorities called off the recovery effort late today, said local river port official Rafiqul Islam.
Witnesses saw more than 30 people swim some 650 feet to shore while onlookers using floats made of banana tree logs rescued survivors from the ferry, the ML Happy. Hundreds of onlookers and anxious relatives waited on the riverbank near Barisal, 75 miles south of the capital, Dhaka.
Rescuers and local people recovered 27 bodies, Islam said. He said many residents still were scouring the river with boats.
Hayat Uddin, a local police official, said authorities had handed over bodies to their relatives by late today.
Police said it was still unclear how many people were missing.
Islam said there were about 60 people aboard, but he could not give a concrete figure. He said the ferry could hold up to 95 people. Even ferry operators in Bangladesh routinely don’t know how many people are on board due to sloppy ticketing and casual security.
Ferry accidents are common in Bangladesh, a desperately poor delta nation of 150 million people. The accidents are often caused by overcrowding, poor boat maintenance, faulty navigation and safety rules that are not enforced.
In July 2003, at least 500 people were killed when a triple-decker ferry sank in the Meghna River in southern Bangladesh. Nearly a year later, a double-decker ferry capsized on the same river, killing as many as 200.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
