26 died and more than 100 missing in Bangladesh

DHAKA: At least 26 peoples died and more than 100 were missing after a ferry sank in Bangladesh, said officials. 35 survivors had been found.

The ferry named shariatpur sank immediately after colliding with another vessel in the middle of the Meghna river, 40 kilometres south-east of the capital Dhaka on Tuesday morning (local time).

The death toll are expected to rise. Local deputy police chief Tariqul Islam said “Divers have recovered 26 dead bodies from the sunken vessel including five women and two children.”

The river had been crowded by hundreds of peoples including relatives during the rescue operation.

Mahbubul Alam, secretary of the Inland Water Transport Authority, said that the ferry seems to be sunk rapidly after collision.

In Bangladesh boats are the main transport form and often safety standards are not followed which leads to many accidents. Naval officials have said more than 95 per cent of Bangladesh’s hundreds of thousands of small- and medium-sized boats do not meet minimum safety regulations.

Earlier, 32 people were killed in April last year after a passenger vessel sank in the Meghna River after colliding with a cargo ship.

Also around 85 people drowned in 2009 when an overloaded triple-decker ferry capsized off Bhola Island in the country’s south.