Rescue workers have recovered a hundred bodies from ferry accidents in stormy weather in Bangladesh. They say another 200 people are still missing and feared dead.
One ferry capsized in the Buriganga River near the capital, Dhaka, Monday evening when a severe tropical storm struck the region. Authorities say as many as 400 people may have been aboard. But the ships do not keep a list of passengers.
Only a handful of people managed to swim ashore. Most of the others were believed to be trapped in the sunken boat. Just hours earlier, another ferry went down, killing as many as 60 people. Many of the passengers were from a wedding party. Thirty survivors managed to swim away.
Ferries are a common form of transit in Bangladesh, where travelers need to cross thousands of interlocking rivers. Tropical storms are common at this time of year, making the journeys more dangerous than usual.
Bangladesh's government is under increasing pressure to help prevent ferry disasters. Critics say authorities are failing to enforce safety standards and that there's a need for better early warning systems for bad weather.