16 feared dead in Bangladesh ferry accident

DHAKA: Up to 16 people, including 13 children, drowned when a packed river ferry capsized in north-eastern Bangladesh, officials said on Wednesday as rescuers searched for more bodies.

The accident happened on Tuesday morning in remote Sunamganj district, 140 kilometres (85 miles) north of the capital Dhaka, district administrator Kamrul Alam told AFP.

"The bodies of six schoolgirls, four small children and three women have been recovered so far," Alam said, adding that the ferry was overloaded. "Three more schoolgirls are still missing, feared dead.

Their relatives have gathered on the banks of the river," he said. Between 60 and 70 passengers were on board the river ferry when it went sank, including about 40 children who were on their way to school.