Bangladesh ferry death toll rises to 51

Some 40 people are missing and 51 are dead after a ferry sank in Bangladesh on Sunday.

Some 40 people are missing and 51 are dead after a ferry sank in Bangladesh on Sunday.

The ferry was carrying more than 100 passengers and tonnes of merchandise, rescue workers said. The vessel was registered to carry 80 people.

Officials said they expected to end the search for survivors today, but grieving relatives told reporters they would stay there for days to find their loved ones, dead or alive.

Bangladesh has a history of ferry accidents in which hundreds of people die each year, especially during the stormy summer months.

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But the exact number of people onboard or of victims are never known because the ferries generally do not keep passenger lists or follow operational rules set by maritime transport authorities, inland shipping officials said.