Bangladesh ferry collision kills dozens

22 February 2015 03:30 pm

The ferry, carrying about 100 people aboard, collided with a trawler on the river Padma about 40km (25 miles) north-west of the capital Dhaka.

At least 50 passengers managed to swim to shore or were saved, officials said, with rescue efforts ongoing.

Accidents are common on Bangladesh's river network, with overcrowding and poor boat quality often to blame.

The death toll was expected to rise on Sunday as rescue divers searched the water, police official Bidhan Tripura told Reuters news agency.

Police have seized the trawler and arrested two of its crew, Mr Tripura said.

River authorities, assisted by firefighters, are attempting to raise the sunken vessel.

Hafizur Rahman Sheikh, who survived the crash, told Bangladesh's Prothom Alo newspaper that many passengers were trapped on the lower decks when the ferry sank.

A similar accident on earlier this month killed at least seven passengers in southern Bangladesh, and in August 2014 more than 100 people died when a ferry with a capacity of 85 crashed with more than 200 people aboard. (BBC)