Ferry Ship Sinks: 31 People Died, Including 10 Children

Illustration of a ferry in Bangladesh. (Wikimedia Commons/Lonely Explorer)

JAKARTA - At least 31 people were killed and some missing after a ship full of Hindus sank on Sunday in Bangladesh, officials said on Monday.

The bodies found so far include 16 women and 10 children, said Jahurul Islam, the administrator of the northern Panchagarh district, where the accident occurred.

"Six more bodies were found this morning, while divers were looking for more bodies," he said.

He said the majority ferries carried the people to a Hindu temple during the Mahalaya celebration, when Hindus gave offerings to their ancestors.

Furthermore, Islam said that the authorities were compiling a list of missing people based on information provided by relatives.

Meanwhile, passengers said more than 70 people were on board, suddenly tilted and sank in the middle of the Karatoya river.

A five-member committee has investigated the incident, but they suspect excessive overcrowding caused the crash, he said.

Police said several passengers managed to swim to the beach or were rescued.

Hundreds of people die each year in ferries in Bangladesh, a lowland country that has vast inland waters.

The incident this time was one of the worst water transportation disasters, which has hit the country in more than a year.

At least 34 people died in April 2021 after a packed ferry collided with a cargo ship and sank in the Shitalakhsya River outside the capital Dhaka.