At least 26 people have been killed and scores of others remain missing after a passenger ferry sank in a river in northeastern Bangladesh.
The ferry, carrying more than 100 people on board, went under after it struck the remains of a sunken cargo vessel in the Meghna River in Sarail district, located about 100 kilometers (62 miles) southeast of the capital Dhaka early on Thursday, AFP reported.
Local police said the death toll could rise as divers are trying to retrieve more bodies from the site of the accident.
The ferry was sailing from Bhairab to Sunamganj district, situated about 175 kilometers (110 miles) northeast of Dhaka.
Boat accidents, blamed on lax rules and unfit vessels, are common in Bangladesh.
Naval architects have said a significant proportion of small and medium-sized boats built in Bangladesh's shipyards do not meet minimum safety regulations.
Around 20 million Bangladeshis rely on boats and ferries to travel to the capital and other major cities in their delta nation of more than 230 rivers.
MP/AKM/MB