At least 24 dead after ferry sinks in Bangladesh capital river
Xinhua
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Photo: Gulf Times 

DHAKA, June 29 (Xinhua) -- At least 24 bodies were found after a ferry sank in a river in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka on Monday morning, while an unknown number of passengers still remained missing.

Enayet Hossain, senior duty officer of Fire Service and Civil Defence Headquarters, told Xinhua that "24 bodies including 14 men, seven women and three children, have so far been found."

He could not give the exact number of missing passengers.

According to the officer, the Dhaka-bound ferry "Morning Bird" capsized after it was hit by another boat "Moyur-2" in Buriganga river near Dhaka's Sadarghat ferry terminal at around 9:30 a.m. local time.

"We've come to know that the ferry was carrying about 50-60 passengers," he said.

A search operation was underway and a rescue vessel had been called in to assist efforts to salvage the ferry, he added.

According to the officer, many passengers were able to swim ashore after the ferry capsized.