14 Mar 2012

Scores missing in Bangladesh ferry

6:57 am on 14 March 2012

At least 32 people have died and scores more are missing after a ferry sank in Bangladesh.

Rescue workers have been recovering bodies from the double-decker ferry, after it and an oil tanker collided in the middle of the Meghna River just southeast of the capital, Dhaka.

One rescued passenger told local media most people were asleep when the accident happened, AFP reports. He says eight of his relatives are missing.

About 200 passengers were thought to be on the ferry, but the exact number was uncertain as manifest lists are seldom accurate and many travellers buy their tickets when on board.