Death toll reaches 73 in Myanmar ferry disaster

  • 22/10/2016
Rescue workers try to pull the sunken ferry from a river near the city of Monywa in central Sagaing region, Myanmar (Reuters)
Rescue workers try to pull the sunken ferry from a river near the city of Monywa in central Sagaing region, Myanmar (Reuters)

The death toll in a Myanmar ferry sinking has reached 73 as authorities wrap up a week-long search and rescue operation for survivors.

The ferry sank early on Saturday, about 140 km northwest of Mandalay, Myanmar's second biggest city.

"We were able to salvage the sunken ferry yesterday and we don't expect to find any more bodies, so we've suspended the official rescue operation," said Ko Ko Naing, an official of Myanmar's social welfare ministry on Friday.

He said 73 bodies, among them 54 women, 14 men and 5 whose gender had yet to be identified, had been found, in addition to the 159 passengers rescued alive.

The ferry had been laden with at least 300 passengers when it sank, exceeding its official capacity of 120, local parliamentarian Kyaw Htay Lwin said, citing witnesses.

Reuters