Dhaka: A Bangladesh ferry with over 100 passengers sank on Sunday after colliding with a cargo ship, reports said.
Ferry MV Mostofa, with some 150 passengers capsized into River Padma after it collided with a cargo vessel at the Daulatdia-Paturia crossing, Fire Department said according to a news agency.
While few dozens of the passengers managed to swim ashore, a rescue operation is on to save others.
Fire Department official Shahzadi Begum said rescue teams were deployed and many passing boats were helping in the operation.
Inspector Zihad Mia, who is overseeing the rescue, said that that the ferry was submerged at a depth of up to 20 feet (6 meters).
The Padma is one of the largest rivers in the delta nation, which is crisscrossed by more than 130 rivers.
Low-lying Bangladesh, with extensive inland waterways and slack safety standards, suffers regular ferry disasters, with deaths sometimes running into the hundreds.
Last August, a ferry with a capacity of 85 passengers was found to be carrying more than 200 when it capsized also on the Padma near Dhaka, leaving with more than 100 people dead or missing. The owner was arrested after weeks in hiding on charges of culpable homicide, unauthorized operation and overloading.
