Ferry Rammed by Freighter Sinks in Bangladeshi River; 250 Missing

DHAKA, Bangladesh — More than 250 people were missing after a Bangladeshi river ferry capsized and sank Tuesday after being rammed by a cargo ship, police said.

Rescue workers recovered 11 bodies floating on the Dhaleswari River. About 25 people swam to safety, but there was no trace of the remaining passengers.

The ferry Hasail was rammed in the stern near the central Bangladeshi town of Narayanganj as it headed for Dhaka.

The United News of Bangladesh said angry onlookers attacked and ransacked the freighter and beat up its crew members after the collision. The skipper of the vessel was missing.

Police officers in Narayanganj said they seized the cargo vessel and that a salvage ship was en route to the scene.

Wahed Ali, one of the survivors who managed to swim to shore, said he lost his 13-year-old daughter, who was trapped inside the sunken boat.

“There was a huge bang from the rear. And then we saw something like a juggernaut coming like a monster and tearing our boat apart,” Ali said of the cargo ship.