Ferries collide in Bangladesh, 10 die

DHAKA, Bangladesh - February 8, 2009 Most of the 50 passengers aboard the smaller ferry were able to swim to shore after the accident in Brahmanbaria district's Titas River, local police Chief Lehajuddin said. Three people were rescued from the river and were being treated at a local hospital but 10 others - all women and children - died, he said.

Lehajuddin, who uses only one name, said the cause of the accident was still being investigated. He said the larger ferry, which was not damaged, fled after the collision.

Rescuers recovered the sunken ferry and ended their search later Sunday because no more bodies were believed to be in the river, Lehajuddin said.

Brahmanbaria is 50 miles (80 kilometers) east of the capital, Dhaka.

Boat accidents are relatively common because of poor navigation and lax enforcement of safety laws in Bangladesh, which is crisscrossed by about 250 rivers. Ferries are a common mode of transportation in the delta nation.

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