Bangladesh ferry accident: at least 32 dead when ship capsizes

At least 32 people have died and many more are missing after a ferry capsized in Bangladesh near the capital Dhaka.

Rescue officials said the ship, the Morning Bird, capsized after a collision with another ship on the Buriganga River, near the country’s largest river port, Sadarghat.

Local media reported that the ferry came from a village in the center of the country and had around 50 passengers.

Ferry accidents are frequent in Bangladesh due to overcrowding.

There are also poor safety standards in the country’s many shipyards and ferries that often sink in bad weather.

Witnesses told local television stations that many passengers were trapped in the ferry cabins after the collision.

Images from the scene showed a large number of bodies in white bags that had been recovered from the affected ship.

Reports say the ferry sank when trying to dock at Sadarghat, Dhaka’s main river port, which is used by hundreds of boats to travel to the south of the country.

Abul Khair, a diver with the fire brigade, told the AFP news agency that rescuers had collected at least 30 bodies, including several children.

Another 20 passengers are still believed to be missing.