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27 dead in Bangladesh ferry accident

DHAKA, Bangladesh, April 21 (UPI) -- At least 27 people died Thursday when an overcrowded ferry capsized after it struck a shipwreck in Bangladesh's Meghna River, officials said.

One hundred of the 150 people on board were able to swim to shore from the double-deck ferry, and scores remain missing, Press Trust of India reported.

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"A total of 27 bodies were recovered and search for more is under way," a police superintendent told PTI. Most of the dead were women and children.

Most of the passengers were asleep at the time of the collision.

Ferry accidents are not uncommon in Bangladesh, largely due to overcrowding. Eighty-five people drowned in November when a triple-deck ferry capsized off Bhola Island.

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