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The boat had 209 people on board when it ran into high seas
late on Friday on a voyage from the coastal town of Taunggok to
Sittwe, capital of the west coast state of Rakhine, officials
said.
"Twenty bodies have been found while 27 are still missing.
Rescue workers are looking for them," Pyay Nyein, a senior
official from the Inland Water Transport Department, told
Reuters.
A Ministry of Transport official said the boat was swamped by
huge waves and 167 people had been saved, though the missing
were believed to be dead.
Residents in Taunggok, from where the boat embarked, said they
believed the toll was higher as the ferry, which they identified
as the government-owned Aung Tagun-3, would have been crowded
with many unregistered passengers.
"Normally, the number of tickets sold is not reliable when it
comes to the number of passengers. That's very common," said a
Taunggok merchant who declined to be identified.
"So the number of missing must be many more than 27. We
understand the chances of finding them in this weather are very
slim."
Marine accidents are common in Myanmar where many people have to
rely on small, crowded and old boats for transport.
(Editing by Robert Birsel)
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