28 people drown as ferries collide in Bangladesh's Buriganga river

Dhaka: At least 28 people, including three children, drowned on Monday and many were missing when a ferry carrying over 100 passengers capsized in Buriganga river after it was hit by another vessel in the Bangladeshi capital here, according to media reports.

The incident took place near Dhaka's Shyambazar area at around 9:30 am, the bdnews24.com reported citing Fire Service Control Room Officer Rozina Islam.

Bodies of 18 males, seven females and three children have been recovered so far, Fire Service and Civil Defence duty officer Shahadat Hossain was quoted as saying by The Daily Star.

The victims are yet to be identified.

The ferry 'Morning Bird', which was coming to Dhaka from Munshiganj, capsized in the river after it was hit by another launch 'Moyur-2' near the Sadarghat launch terminal, Hossain said.

According to police, the 'Morning Bird' was carrying over 100 passengers.

Though some of the passengers managed to swim to the land, it was not clear how many people swam to safety or are still missing.

The Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), fire service, river police, coast guard and Bangladesh Navy's diving team are carrying out the rescue operation, the Dhaka Tribune reported.