Bangladesh ferry disaster kills 24 with dozens missing

At least 24 people were killed and dozens were missing after a boat packed with Hindu devotees sank on Sunday in Bangladesh, in the worst waterways disaster to hit the country in more than a year.

The bodies recovered so far included 12 women and eight children, said Jahurul Islam, district administrator of northern Panchagarh, where the accident occurred.

"The rescue operation for those missing is ongoing," he said.

The ferry was taking devotees to a Hindu temple.

Islam said he did not know the exact number of people missing, but passengers said more than 70 people had been on board.

Police said some 30 people were still missing while some of the passengers managed to swim ashore.

Hundreds of people die each year in ferry accidents in Bangladesh, a low-lying country that has extensive inland waterways and lax safety standards.

At least 26 people died in April last year after an overcrowded ferry collided with a cargo vessel and sank on the Shitalakhsya River outside the capital Dhaka.

(Reuters)