Boat capsizes in Bangladesh river, at least 5 die

The Jakarta Post -

A boat packed with passengers capsized on a river in northeastern Bangladesh, and rescuers said at least 35 people died and 20 more were reported missing.

The boat carrying about 80 people collided with a sand-laden cargo vessel in the darkness lateaturday on the River Surma, local government officials Abul Hashem and Matiur Rahman said.

They spoke to The Associated Press by telephone from the scene of the accident in Sunamganj district, about 110 miles (175 kilometers) northeast of the capital, Dhaka.

Some survivors swam to shore or were rescued by local villagers. Rescuers recovered 35 bodies and used torch lights to search for about 20 people who have been reported missing, the two officials said.

All the dead were from the passenger boat. Dhaka's Prothom Alo newspaper reported most were women and children.

The boat was traveling from Sunamganj to the neighboring Kishoreganj district.

Boat accidents, blamed on lax rules and unfit vessels, are common in Bangladesh,

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