At least 27 people have drowned after an overcrowded ferry capsized in northwestern Myanmar, government officials said.
The vessel was carrying 209 passengers when it encountered bad weather and was hit by huge waves on its journey from the coastal town of Taunggok to Sittwe, capital of the western coast state of Rakhine, according to officials. The vessel called the Aung Tagun 3 sank late on Friday.
“Twenty bodies have been found while 27 are still missing. Rescue workers are looking for them,” Pyay Nyein, a senior official from the Inland Water Transport Department, told the Reuters news agency.
Rescuers have brought 167 passengers to safety. At least 47 people, including about 30 women, remain unaccounted for, said the Ministry of Information in a statement.
Search and rescue teams aided by Myanmar’s navy are scouring the capsize site for survivors.
Residents in Taunggok, where the ferry embarked from, believe the toll will be higher, as the government-owned vessel would have carried unregistered passengers, reported Reuters.
Boat accidents are common in the country’s river deltas and coastal regions due to bad weather, cyclones and the overcrowding of poorly-maintained vessels. People in Myanmar often travel by boat because of the low cost and as many parts of the country are inaccesible by road.
The vessel was carrying 209 passengers when it encountered bad weather and was hit by huge waves on its journey from the coastal town of Taunggok to Sittwe, capital of the western coast state of Rakhine, according to officials. The vessel called the Aung Tagun 3 sank late on Friday.
“Twenty bodies have been found while 27 are still missing. Rescue workers are looking for them,” Pyay Nyein, a senior official from the Inland Water Transport Department, told the Reuters news agency.
Rescuers have brought 167 passengers to safety. At least 47 people, including about 30 women, remain unaccounted for, said the Ministry of Information in a statement.
Search and rescue teams aided by Myanmar’s navy are scouring the capsize site for survivors.
Residents in Taunggok, where the ferry embarked from, believe the toll will be higher, as the government-owned vessel would have carried unregistered passengers, reported Reuters.
Boat accidents are common in the country’s river deltas and coastal regions due to bad weather, cyclones and the overcrowding of poorly-maintained vessels. People in Myanmar often travel by boat because of the low cost and as many parts of the country are inaccesible by road.
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