The ferry carrying over 100 people sank in the Buriganga river on Thursday after it was hit by a vessel loaded with sand.

"Six more bodies, including two of children, have been recovered today," a police officer told reporters.

Rescuers were searching the river for the rest of the passengers as anxious relatives crowded the riverbank waiting for news of their loved ones, a witness said.

It was the first major ferry disaster in Bangladesh since May 2005, when 150 people were killed after a ferry with 200 passengers went down in a river during a storm.

Hundreds of Bangladeshis die in ferry accidents every year, mostly blamed on loading beyond the boats' listed capacity.

Reuters

Güncelleme Tarihi: 02 Mart 2008, 15:31