Rescuers found 19 more bodies from an overcrowded ferry that sank in southern Bangladesh, taking the death toll to 75, but many are still missing, an official said today.
The three-deck MV Coco-4capsized in a river in coastal Bhola district on Friday night with about 1,500 people onboard, almost three times more than its registered capacity.
Most passengers were believed to have survived the incident, considered the worst in two years.
"So far we have recovered 75 bodies but dozens of people are still missing," a rescue official said.
Survivors said the ferry started taking in water after it had hit a raised section of the river bed and listed heavily on one side as panicked passengers scrambled to escape.
Ferry accidents kill hundreds of people in Bangladesh every year and are caused mainly by overcrowding and poor navigation.
Reuters