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Ferry with 70 on board sinks in Bangladesh
A river ferry capsized in a river in central Bangladesh after hitting a cargo boat, leaving two dead and several missing.
A river ferry packed with dozens of people capsized in a river in central Bangladesh after hitting a cargo boat on Monday, leaving two dead and several missing.
Rescuers recovered two bodies after the small ferry carrying about 70 people went down in the Meghna River in Munshiganj district, 32 kms southeast of the national capital, Dhaka, United News of Bangladesh said.
Authorities sent divers from police and fire departments to search for several other missing people, ATN Bangla TV station reported.
Many of the passengers swam to safety since the ferry sank close to the shore, the reports said.
An official at Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority, which regulates ferry operations, confirmed the accident, but did not provide details.
He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media.
The ferry was packed with vacationers going home for this week's Islamic festival of Eid-ul-Fitr, which marks the end of a month of fasting.
