Bangladesh official says ferry has capsized; hundreds onboard
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DHAKA, Bangladesh— A Bangladesh official says a passenger ferry carrying hundreds of people has capsized.
Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority Chairman Samsuddoha Khondaker said the accident took place Monday morning as the ferry was crossing the River Padma in Munshiganj district in the central part of the country.
“We have heard that the ferry was overloaded with passengers and the river was rough,” local police chief Tofazzal Hossain told Agence France-Presse, adding that 50 passengers had been rescued so far.
Local media reports say that up to 250 passengers were on board when the accident happened.
Khondaker says not many details were known yet about the cause of the accident or if there were many survivors.
Ferry accidents are common in Bangladesh due to poor safety standards for the vessels, which are often overloaded.
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