69 dead as boat sinks after collision

The death toll in a ferry accident in central Bangladesh soared to 69 on Monday, after emergency workers recovered more bodies from the wreckage of an overcrowded boat that sank after colliding with a cargo vessel.

Authorities said "several" people were still unaccounted for after the ferry sank within just two minutes of the collision on Sunday, making it all but impossible for passengers below deck to escape.

It is the second deadly boat accident in a fortnight in Bangladesh, which is heavily reliant on ferries for transport but has a poor safety record.