DHAKA (Reuters) - At least 40 people are confirmed dead and many more missing after a ferry carrying nearly 150 passengers capsized in Bangladesh, a police official said on Tuesday.
"Till now we have recovered 40 bodies from inside theferry," said Mohammad Jahangir Alam, the officer in charge ofNikli police station in Kishoreganj district, northeast of thecapital, Dhaka.
Jahangir said the ferry was caught in a storm on Monday andcapsized in the Ghorautura river, nearly 180 kms (113 miles)from Dhaka.
He said that of nearly 150 passengers aboard, only about 25managed to swim ashore.
"We hope to recover the ferry before sunset," Jahangir toldReuters.
Ferry accidents occur frequently in riverine Bangladesh andhundreds of people die every year.
Poor enforcement of safety laws means boats are often badlyserviced and generally packed well beyond capacity.
(Reporting by Serajul Islam Quadir; Editing by David Fox)
