118 dead in ferry disaster
DHAKA, Bangladesh (CNN) -- At least 118 people were killed and many others were still missing after a tornado capsized an an overcrowded ferry in the Buriganga River near Dhaka, rescuers said Monday.
Authorities said they have concluded the rescue operation and that 115 of the dead have been identified and handed over to their relatives for burial.
Dozens of bodies pulled from the water were placed in a row near the river's shore so family members could file past to identify the dead.
The ferry MV Maharaj was designed to carry 160 passengers, but officials estimated 260 were aboard when it capsized.
The ferry left Dhaka Sadarghat terminal at about 10:15 p.m. Saturday bound for Matlab in Chandpur, but it was hit by a tornado just before midnight, causing it to overturn about 16 km (10 miles) from Dhaka, officials said.
Authorities have ordered an investigation into the accident.
Ferry accidents are common in this South Asian nation crisscrossed by rivers. In the last 28 years, at least 3,000 people have died in 260 ferry accidents here.
A ferry capsized in eastern Chandpur during a storm in July 2003, killing more than 500 people.
Journalist Tasneem Khalil contributed to this report
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Associated Press contributed to this report.
