32 dead in Bangladesh boat sinking: official

At least 32 people - all women and children - were killed after a boat capsized on a river in north-eastern Bangladesh, police said Sunday. The boat, carrying dozens of labourers, hit a cargo-laden ship and sank in the middle of the river Surma at Alipur, 240 kilometres (160 miles) north-east of the capital Dhaka, in Sunamganj district, police sub inspector Saraj said.
"At least 32 people are dead, 16 women and 16 children. We are still trying to find out if more people are missing," Saraj, who uses only one name, told AFP from the scene of the accident. Local police chief Jane Alam said the accident happened in one of the most remote areas of Bangladesh and that it would take hours for officials to reach the site. "We have confirmation that a boat sunk, at around 9:00pm (1500 GMT) in the night," he said. Boat accidents due to lax safety standards and overloading are common in Bangladesh, which is criss-crossed by 230 rivers.