This article is more than 6 years old

This article is more than 6 years old

A Bangladeshi passenger ferry carrying hundreds of people has capsized.

The accident took place on Monday morning as the ferry was crossing the river Padma in Munshiganj district in the central part of the country.

Media reports said that up to 250 passengers were on board when the accident happened.

Samsuddoha Khondaker, the chair of the Bangladesh water transport authority, said few details were known about the cause of the accident or if there were many survivors.

Ferry accidents are common in Bangladesh due to poor safety standards for the vessels, which are often overloaded.