DHAKA, Bangladesh, Feb. 19 (UPI) -- At least 100 people were reported missing and feared drowned Thursday after a ferry capsized in a river in southern Bangladesh, local officials said.
Police chief Tawfiq Mahbub Chowdhury told China's state-run new agency Xinhua the launch carrying at least 150 passengers was hit by a cargo ship on the Kirtonkhola River in the Barisal district.
"We've come to know that over 100 passengers are missing. A body of a woman was pulled out from the water," Chowdhury said.
Another police official said 50 passengers swam to shore. The accident occurred about 105 miles from Dhaka, the country's capital,
Police said heavy fog may have caused the accident, Bernama reported.
Rafiqul Islam, the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority deputy director overseeing the rescue operation, said the water is about 30-35 feet deep where the collision occurred.
