17 killed, 20 missing in Bangladesh ferry disaster

Rescue workers recovered 17 bodies, that included five children, after several hours of search and were hunting for the missing.

At least 17 people, including five children, were killed and 20 had gone missing after a ferry in which they were travelling sank in the rough weather on Thursday in the Bay of Bengal off the coast of Bangladesh.

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Local officials and sources said the Sitakundu-bound MV Rifat, sailing from Sandwip Island with around 70 people capsized near a channel.

Rescue workers recovered 17 bodies, that included five children, after several hours of search and were hunting for those 20 possibly missing. About 35 passengers swam to safety.

Ferry accidents in deltaic Bangladesh are blamed on overloading and since there is no passenger list it is not possible to accurately determine the exact number of people on board the vessel.