Dozens Feared Dead After Ferry Sinks Off Myanmar Coast

[misskit]

YANGON (DPA) — At least 21 people were confirmed dead and two dozen others missing after a ferry sank off the north-western coast of Myanmar, officials said Saturday.

The government-owned ferry with 214 passengers aboard sunk late Friday night in high seas off the coastal state of Rakhine, officials said.

"A total of 167 passengers were rescued and 21 bodies were recovered by the navy ship, but 26 people were still missing," state government spokesman Win Myaing said.

The ferry was swamped by waves shortly after leaving Taunggok en route to Sittwe, he said.

"We heard there was a heavy rain and wind after it had left Taunggok," he said.

The missing people were believed to be dead.

Dozens Feared Dead After Ferry Sinks Off Myanmar Coast

[Luigi]

The "Aung Takon 3" went down late on Friday after leaving the town of Kyaukphyu on its way to Sittwe in western Rakhine state, police said.

YANGON: Rescuers were frantically searching for survivors on Saturday (Mar 14) after an overloaded ferry sank in rough waters off the coast of western Myanmar killing more than 30 people and leaving at least a dozen more missing.

The "Aung Takon 3" went down late on Friday after leaving the town of Kyaukphyu on its way to Sittwe in western Rakhine state, police said.

"The latest death toll is 33 - four men including a monk and 29 women. At least 12 persons are still missing," a police officer in Sittwe town told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity. He added 169 people had now been rescued, and that no foreigners were believed to be on board the ship.

"We suspect that the boat sank because it was overloaded with goods," the police officer said, adding that the ship was listed as carrying 214 passengers and crew. But locals said they feared the ferry was packed with unregistered ticket holders who would not have shown up on the ship's manifest, a common practice on the impoverished nation's often overcrowded ferry network.

"We don't know how many are still missing because some people were on board without official tickets," Hla Shwe, a local from Ngaputhone village, which lies a few kilometres (miles) away from where the ship went down, told AFP by telephone.

"There are many dead bodies which didn't appear yet," local MP Maung Lone added, also by telephone. "We estimate about 300 people were on board."

Three navy boats and a host of private vessels were sent to scour the area after news emerged that the ferry had sunk shortly after 8.30pm.

33 dead and scores missing after Myanmar ferry sinks - Channel NewsAsia