Six dead, at least 19 missing as Bangladesh ferry sinks

Bangladeshis ride packed ferries as they rush home to be with their families in their respective villages ahead of the Eid al-Fitr festival at the Sadarghat ferry terminal on the outskirts of Dhaka. AFP FILE PHOTO/Munir uz ZAMAN

DHAKA — Six people were dead and at least 19 others were missing after a ferry capsized Saturday when it was caught in a storm in the south of Bangladesh, a government official said.

The ferry, MV Shatil, sank in the middle of a river near Kalagasia, some 200 kilometers (125 miles) south of the capital Dhaka.

“About a dozen passengers survived by swimming ashore. Survivors told us another 25 people were in the ferry when it sank,” district government administrator Kazi Sayemuzzamanhe told Agence France-Presse.

“Local people have so far recovered six bodies,” the official added.

A salvage vessel was headed to the spot to lift the sunken boat, he said.

Ferry accidents are common in Bangladesh, which is criss-crossed with more than 100 rivers.

Most of the accidents occur during the storm season between April and June.

Experts blame poorly maintained vessels and overcrowding for most of the tragedies.

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