Dhaka - At least 37 people drowned when a riverboat capsized in north-eastern Bangladesh, officials said Sunday.
The boat carrying more than 100 passengers sank in Surma River after colliding with a sand barge Saturday night near Alipur of Jamalganj district, 166 kilometres north-east of capital Dhaka, district official Shamima Sharier said.
She said rescuers had retrieved 37 bodies and the search was continuing. Most of the victims were women and children, she said.
Ferry accidents are frequent in riverine Bangladesh as lax implementation of law and inadequate monitoring by the authorities. - Sapa-dpa