8 dead, more missing in Bangladesh boat sinking

AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE DHAKA, Bangladesh, : At least eight people have died and more are feared missing after a boat packed with over 100 people sank in northeastern Bangladesh on Wednesday, police said. The overcrowded boat sank just yards from the river station at Durlavpur in Sunamganj district, some 200 kilometres (120 miles) from the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka, local police chief Jane Alam Khan said.  "We´ve recovered eight dead bodies so far. The boat was carrying over 100 passengers. We believe most people have swam ashore because the boat sank close to the river station," he told AFP by phone from the site of the accident. Khan said around 10 passengers are still missing, although local online newspaper Bdnews24.com quoted a local council chief as saying at least 50 passengers were unaccounted for. Sunamganj is home to some of the country´s major lakes and boats are the main means of transport for the area´s residents. Thousands gathered on the banks of the river near the scene of the accident to watch as the search effort got underway. Boat accidents due to lax safety standards and overloading are common in Bangladesh, which is criss-crossed by 230 rivers.