8 dead, dozens missing after ferry capsizes in Bangladesh

USPA News - At least eight people were killed Saturday and around 35 others went missing after a passenger ferry was caught in a storm and capsized on a river in southern Bangladesh, local authorities said. Fifteen people were able to swim to safety.

The accident happened just after 3 p.m. local time on Saturday when strong winds battered the vessel, causing it to capsize on the Kalagachia River in Galachipa Upazila of Patuakhali District. The ferry, identified as the MV Shakil-1, was coming from Rangabali Upazila and was carrying around 60 people when it capsized near its destination. "As of this evening, locals have recovered eight bodies, but the rescue has now been suspended," a district officials said, adding that two young children were among those killed. He said fifteen people were able to swim ashore though some of them were injured, including a child who was said to be in a critical condition. Around 35 people were still believed to be missing by late Saturday evening, but severe weather was preventing rescue workers from searching for them. The district official said rescue workers would attempt to locate more victims at dawn on Sunday or when the weather conditions improve. Ferry and boat accidents happen frequently in Bangladesh, a low-lying delta nation that is criss-crossed by more than 250 rivers. In March 2012, at least 147 people were killed when a Dhaka-bound ferry capsized after being struck by a cargo vessel on the Meghna River in central Bangladesh.