A ferry sank in a river in northwestern Myanmar, killing at least 32 people with scores missing, a rescue official said on Monday. About 150 people had been rescued from the Chindwin river in the Sagaing region after the ferry capsized on Saturday, said Sa Willy Frank, head of the regional relief department.
As of about 7 pm on Monday, 32 bodies had been recovered, leaving more than 60 people still unaccounted for amid a continuing salvage operation, he said.
Kyaw Htay Lwin, a lawmaker in the Sagaing regional parliament, said the number of missing could be higher. "I heard from witnesses that the boat was packed with at least 300 passengers, despite its official capacity of around 120," he said.
The ferry was travelling from Homalin to Monywa when it sank at about 5 am on Saturday close to Kani, about 137 km northwest of Myanmar's former royal capital, Mandalay. Some 30 teachers were thought to be among the passengers, along with dozens of students from Monywa university and workers heading home for Thadingyut. Marine accidents are common in Myanmar, where many people rely on crowded boats that are often in a state of disrepair for transport. Sixty-four people drowned off the western state of Rakhine when an overloaded ferry sank in bad weather in March 2015.Death toll from Myanmar ferry disaster rises to 32 https://t.co/5emSFLHDEd pic.twitter.com/S9kDDtXjXe
— The Straits Times (@STcom) October 17, 2016
32 bodies found in Myanmar ferry disaster as death toll mountshttps://t.co/W3ocuLe7Bi pic.twitter.com/BCkSl0yIqr— New Straits Times (@NST_Online) October 17, 2016
Four arrested
"I am really so sorry," said Sai Khaing Myo Tun, vice president of Myanmar's teachers' federation. "This incident has terrified us very much." "The teachers often have to use such unsafe transportation, especially when they (come to) get their monthly salary."
Authorities are still hunting for one crew member and the ferry's owner.https://t.co/8n4IERkvHO
— The Quint (@TheQuint) October 17, 2016
Four of the boat's staff have been arrested and will face legal action. Authorities are still hunting for one crew member and the ferry's owner.
Local lawmaker Shwin Htay said people were devastated by the scale of the disaster as he called for the boat operators to face justice. "I have never known of a boat sinking where so many people have died in this area," he told.