(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-05-07 10:04

Rescuers work to recover a boat that sank at the Solimoes River, about 50 miles (80 km) from Manaus, Brazil May 4, 2008. A boat carrying around 110 people, more than twice its capacity, sank on Sunday at dawn on a major river in the Amazon rain forest, rescue workers said. [Agencies]

BRASILIA -- Brazilian fire-fighters recovered on Tuesday 12 bodies, bringing to 29 the total number of deaths after a boat sunk in the Solimoes River in Brazil's northern Amazonas state Sunday.

Seventy passengers managed to swim ashore or were saved by passing boats.

The overloaded boat was carrying revelers returning from a party.

The Brazilian navy said the boat was not registered with local port authorities, and was seized on January 19 for not having necessary documents and sailing without qualified crew members.

In February, a boat with about 90 people aboard sunk in another river of Amazonas state, killing 16.