Death toll in Bangladesh's ferry accident rises to 11

With recovery of three more bodies on Friday, the death toll in Thursday's ferry accident in Bangladesh has risen to 11, police said.

"Rescuers have so far retrieved 11 bodies from the ferry that capsized Thursday afternoon in the Buriganga river," a police official said on condition of anonymity, Xinhua reported.

"Death toll surged to 11 after recovery of three more bodies on Friday," said the official.

He said fire brigade personnel and locals, including fishermen, were still searching for other missing people aboard the ferry, which carried 70 to 80 people.

It is believed that most of the passengers of the ferry, which sank after it collided with a cargo, managed to swim ashore, but the number of missing was still unclear.

A rescue vessel has been called in to help the efforts to salvage the ferry.

Ferry and boat accidents are common in Bangladesh, which is criss-crossed by about 250 rivers. Ferry is still a key means of transport in the country. Scores of people are killed each year from ferry disasters in the country.