River ferry capsizes in Bangladesh

A ferry carrying about 200 passengers has capsized south-west of
Bangladesh's capital, Dhaka, officials say.

Emergency workers and army teams are at the scene in Munshiganj
district where the accident happened on the River Padma, 30km (20
miles) from Dhaka.

Reports say some 50 people have been rescued from the vessel, the Pinak-6.

Accidents are common on Bangladesh's river network and scores of
people are killed every year, with overcrowding and poor boat quality
often to blame.

Boats are the main form of travel in some rural parts of the country.
It was not immediately clear what caused Monday's accident.

"We have heard that the ferry was overloaded with passengers and the
river was rough," local police chief Tofazzal Hossain told AFP news
agency.