KABUL: (Middle East Press) At least 21 people have lost their lives and over dozens are missing after an overloaded ferry sank in rough waters off the coast of western Myanmar.
According to officials, The “Aung Takon 3” went down late Friday after leaving the town of Kyaukphyu on its way to Sittwe in western Rakhine state.
“At least 21 dead bodies we have received, two men and 19 women and over 26 others are still missing,” a police officer in Sittwe town who requested anonymity told AFP.
He added 167 people had been rescued, and that no foreigners were believed to be on board the ship.
“We suspect that the boat sank was due to overloaded with too much goods,” the police officer said, adding that the ship was thought to be carrying more than 200 passengers.
But locals said they feared the ferry was packed with unregistered ticket holders who would not have shown up on the ship’s manifest, a common practice on the impoverished nation’s often overcrowded ferry network.
