Bangladesh Ferry Capsizes at Dock

A triple-deck ferry packed with hundreds of travelers heading home for an Islamic festival capsized as they disembarked in southern Bangladesh, leaving at least 37 dead and scores missing. M.V. Coco, traveling from the capital Dhaka, went down late Friday as it arrived at Nazirhat town, 104 kilometers to the south. Some survivors said the boat hit a river shoal as it approached the terminal, breaking the hull and allowing water in. As passengers scrambled to disembark, the vessel then tipped and partially sank in the Tetulia River.

The ferry was crowded with people heading home to celebrate the Eid al-Adha festival, but it is unclear how many were on board. Dhaka's private ETV television station said the ferry was carrying more than 1,500 people but many had already disembarked when the vessel went down. The ferry had a sanctioned capacity of 1,000 passengers, police officials said.

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