Eleven people were killed when their boat sank in northern Brazil during a traditional procession on a river in honor of the Virgin Mary, relief workers said.
Four other people were still missing from the ship that was carrying 100 participants although it had a capacity limit of 40, firefighters said yesterday.
Firefighters had accompanied the procession but the accident took place as the boats were returning to their ports, a spokesman said.
"The boat was participating in the procession, which takes about two hours in the Amazonian state of Amapa, and must have capsized after hitting a sandbar upon its return," firefighter commander Miguel Rosario told AFP.
The traditional procession on the river takes place each year between the town of Santana and the state capital Macapa, with boats of all sizes.
Brazil's most famous procession, the Cirio de Nazare, occurs in the Amazonian city of Bethlehem, with about two million participants.
