Bangladesh finds 18 bodies after ferry capsizes

[September 22, 2016]    DHAKA (Reuters) - Bangladeshi rescue workers have recovered 18 bodies since an overcrowded ferry capsized on Wednesday under the weight of a collapsing river bank, police said on Thursday.

Rescue workers look for survivors after a ferry sank in the southern district of Barisal, Bangladesh, September 21, 2016. REUTERS/Stringer

Low-lying Bangladesh, with extensive inland waterways and slack safety standards, has an appalling record of ferry accidents, with casualties sometimes running into the hundreds.

Overcrowding is a common factor but little is done to improve safety even though the government continually vows to toughen regulations.

The accident happened in the southern district of Barisal.

(Reporting by Ruma Paul; Editing by Nick Macfie)

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