70 confirmed dead in ferry accident

monjola sotubo

February 23, 2015 8:24 AM

The ferry, which had about 140 people onboard, capsized on Sunday, February 22, after being hit by a cargo vessel.

70 people have been confirmed dead in Bangladesh after a ferry accident on the Padma River.

The ferry, which had about 140 people on board, capsized on Sunday, February 22, after being hit by a cargo vessel.

Rescuers recovered 48 bodies on Sunday and another 22 on Monday after which the official search was called off.

"Our people are using boats to survey the river for any dead bodies. But here at the scene we are calling off the search as there are no more bodies inside the ferry," Local Government Administrator, Rasheda Ferdousi said.

The police have handed over 58 victims’ bodies to their families. At least nine of them were children, local police chief Mohammaed Rakibuzzman said.

The Padma is one of the largest rivers in Bangladesh and overcrowding and poor safety standards are usually blamed for ferry disasters.

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monjola sotubo