Scores feared drownded as ferry capsizes in Bangladesh

(Vatican Radio) Up to 200 people are feared drowned after a crowded ferry capsized on Monday in central Bangladesh.

A few dozen passengers survived, yet the actual death toll may be hard to establish, as regional correspondent Alastair Wanklyn reports.

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The passenger ferry was crossing a river south of Bangladesh's capital when it began to capsize and then rolled over and sank. Some reports said up to 250 people were aboard at the time. One local transport official said the boat was overloaded and it became unbalanced when it reached strong currents in the middle of the River Padma, which is about four kilometres wide in that area.

Local residents headed out in boats, trying to pull survivors from the water, and police said divers were to join the hunt for people trapped inside.One officer said at least 44 people survived, either rescued by other boats or by swimming to safety. Hundreds of local residents gathered on the river bank, many weeping as the vessel sank.

One man who swam to safety said the water had been rough, with high winds and strong currents apparently overwhelming the crew. He said the captain was among the people who leaped into the water. The full number of people aboard was unclear because ferry operators in Bangladesh do not always record passenger lists.

River ferries are a routine means of transport in Bangladesh, and safety campaigners say the boats are often overloaded. A ferry accident in May in the same district left around 50 people dead.