In pictures: Ferry capsizes in Bangladesh river, many killed

At least 30 ferry passengers were killed in the Bangladesh capital Dhaka on Monday when the vessel sank after a collision, officials said. Above: Rescue workers bring bodies of victims after a ferry capsized at the Sadarghat ferry terminal in Dhaka.

Dead bodies are seen piled up on a boat after the passenger ferry capsized. The boat had around 50 passengers aboard when it capsized in the Buriganga river that runs along southwest Dhaka, said Shahjahan Shikder, a fire service official. The dead include six women and three children, he added.

Some passengers swam ashore to safety but some were missing. "So far, we have recovered 23 bodies and are looking for those missing," Shikder said.

The Morning Bird ferry was travelling on the Buriganga River to the capital, Dhaka, from neighbouring Munshiganj district, but it was hit by another ferry near Shyambazar and capsized. The second ferry left the scene.

Rescuers were continuing their search, said Debashish Bardhan, deputy director of Fire Service and Civil Defense.

Hundreds of people die each year in ferry accidents in Bangladesh, a low-lying country that has extensive inland waterways but slack safety standards.