Some 60 passengers on the ferry were returning from a wedding when it collided with another boat in the Irrawaddy Delta. Photos in local media showed rescuers working in the darkness on Saturday night to lay the bodies of the dead onshore [AP] At least 20 people were killed when a boat carrying scores of wedding guests capsized in Myanmar's Irrawaddy Delta, officials said, with more feared drowned as rescue workers renewed their search in daylight.

Start the conversation, or Read more at Al Jazeera.</s>YANGON, Myanmar — A ferry boat capsized in Myanmar’s Ayeyarwaddy delta, killing 20 people and leaving more than a dozen missing, police said.

Thirty people were rescued after the ferry capsized in the Ngawun river at around 7:30 p.m. Friday, police officer Nay Lin Tun said. About 66 people were on the ferry, which capsized after colliding with a boat carrying gravel.

The ferry was going from Pathein to Yakhinekone village. Most of the ferry’s passengers were returning from a wedding ceremony.

Boat accidents are fairly common in Myanmar, where many people travel by boat and government oversight is lax. Poor maintenance and overcrowding makes the vessels prone to capsizing. People living in the delta region often travel and transport goods by boat because of the low cost and the inaccessibility of many areas by road.

In October, 48 people died when an overcrowded ferry capsized during a nighttime run on the Chindwin river in central Myanmar.</s>YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — A ferry boat capsized Friday evening in Myanmar’s Ayeyarwaddy delta, killing at least 20 people, police said.

Police officer Nay Lin Tun said more than 40 people were on board the ferry.

He said police and firefighters were attempting to rescue passengers in the Ngawun River, where the accident occurred.

The cause of the accident was being investigated. No other details were immediately available.</s>At least 20 people have been killed and more than a dozen missing after a ferry boat capsized in Burma's Ayeyarwaddy delta.

Thirty people were rescued after the ferry capsized in the Ngawun river at around 7.30pm on Friday, police officer Nay Lin Tun said.

About 66 people were on the ferry, which capsized after colliding with a boat carrying gravel. The ferry was going from Pathein to Yakhinekone village.

Most of the ferry's passengers were returning from a wedding ceremony.

'Altogether 16 women and four men were killed in the boat accident,' regional MP Aung Thu Htwe told AFP Saturday morning.

'We estimate nine people are still missing,' he said, adding that some 30 people had been rescued alive the night before.

The boat was believed to be carrying about 60 people when it sank, according to state media and a local police officer.

'They were crossing to the other side of the river after attending a wedding in Pathein. Most of them were relatives from the same village,' said the police officer, who requested anonymity.

Both boats were unlit when they collided in the middle of the river.

Local authorities and red cross workers resumed the search operation at first light.

Fatal boat accidents are common in Myanmar, where many people living along its flood-prone rivers rely on often overcrowded ferries for transport.

It often takes several days before all of the bodies are retrieved.

Last October 73 people, including many teachers and students, died when their packed vessel capsized in central Myanmar on the Chindwin River.

Earlier that year in April at least 21 people, including nine children, died after their boat sank off the coast of Myanmar's western state of Rakhine.

Around 60 people died the year before, in March 2015, when their ferry went down in the same treacherous waters off of Rakhine.</s>YANGON, Myanmar (AP) - A ferry boat capsized in Myanmar's Ayeyarwaddy delta, killing 20 people and leaving more than a dozen missing, police said.

Thirty people were rescued after the ferry capsized in the Ngawun river at around 7:30 p.m. Friday, police officer Nay Lin Tun said. About 66 people were on the ferry, which capsized after colliding with a boat carrying gravel.

The ferry was going from Pathein to Yakhinekone village. Most of the ferry's passengers were returning from a wedding ceremony.

In this Friday, April 7, 2017 image made from a video provided by DVB, survivors of a ferry sinking sit on chair in Pathein, Myanmar. A ferry boat capsized in Myanmar's Ayeyarwaddy delta, killing a number of people and leaving more than a dozen missing, police said. (DVB via AP)

Boat accidents are fairly common in Myanmar, where many people travel by boat and government oversight is lax. Poor maintenance and overcrowding makes the vessels prone to capsizing. People living in the delta region often travel and transport goods by boat because of the low cost and the inaccessibility of many areas by road.

In October, 48 people died when an overcrowded ferry capsized during a nighttime run on the Chindwin river in central Myanmar.

In this Friday, April 7, 2017 image made from a video provided by DVB, people gather following news of a ferry sinking, in Pathein, Myanmar. A ferry boat capsized in Myanmar's Ayeyarwaddy delta, killing a number of people and leaving more than a dozen missing, police said. (DVB via AP)</s>YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — A ferry boat capsized in Myanmar’s Ayeyarwaddy delta, killing 20 people and leaving more than a dozen missing, police said.

Thirty people were rescued after the ferry capsized in the Ngawun river at around 7:30 p.m. Friday. Police said around 66 people were on the ferry, which capsized after colliding with a boat carrying gravel.

The ferry was going from Pathein to Yakhinekone village. Most of the ferry’s passengers were returning from a wedding ceremony.

Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>At least 20 people died and more than a dozen are missing after a ferry boat capsized in Myanmar’s Irrawaddy delta, police said on Saturday.

Thirty people were rescued after the ferry Ngwe Kyare Pwint capsized in the Ngawun River, an Irrawaddy tributary, at around 7:30pm Friday, police officer Nay Lin Tun said. About 66 people were on the ferry, which capsized after colliding with a boat carrying gravel.

The ferry was travelling from Pathein to Yakhinekone village. Most of the passengers were returning from a wedding ceremony.

Twenty bodies — four male and 16 female — had been recovered as of Saturday morning, according to local authorities engaged in the search and rescue operation.

Boat accidents are fairly common in Myanmar, where many people travel by boat and government oversight is lax. Poor maintenance and overcrowding make the vessels prone to capsizing.

People living in the delta region often travel and transport goods by boat because of the low cost and the inaccessibility of many areas by road.

In October, 48 people died when an overcrowded ferry capsized during a nighttime run on the Chindwin river in central Myanmar.</s>Some 60 passengers on the ferry were returning from a wedding when it collided with another boat in the Irrawaddy Delta.

At least 20 people were killed when a boat carrying scores of wedding guests capsized in Myanmar's Irrawaddy Delta, officials said, with more feared drowned as rescue workers renewed their search in daylight.

Most of the dead were women, according officials, who said the boat sank on Friday evening when it collided with a river barge in Pathein, a port city west of the commercial capital Yangon.

"Altogether 16 women and four men were killed in the boat accident," regional MP Aung Thu Htwe told AFP on Saturday morning.

"We estimate nine people are still missing," he said, adding that some 30 people had been rescued alive the night before.

The boat was believed to be carrying between 60 and 80 people when it sank, according to state media and a local police officer.

"They were crossing to the other side of the river after attending a wedding in Pathein. Most of them were relatives from the same village," said the police officer, who requested anonymity.

Both boats were unlit when they collided in the middle of the river, he added.

Local authorities and red cross workers resumed the search operation this morning, the police officer said.

"We will do search and rescue for the whole day," he told AFP.

Fatal boat accidents are common in Myanmar, where many people living along its flood-prone rivers rely on often overcrowded ferries for transport.

In October, 73 people, including many teachers and students, died when their packed vessel capsized in central Myanmar on the Chindwin River.

Earlier that year in April at least 21 people, including nine children, died after their boat sank off the coast of Myanmar's western state of Rakhine.

Around 60 people died the year before, in March 2015, when their ferry went down in the same treacherous waters off the Rakhine coast.</s>A ferry boat capsized in Myanmar's Ayeyarwaddy delta, killing 20 people and leaving more than a dozen missing, police said.

Thirty people were rescued after the ferry capsized in the Ngawun river at around 7:30 p.m. Friday, police officer Nay Lin Tun said. About 66 people were on the ferry, which capsized after colliding with a boat carrying gravel.

The ferry was going from Pathein to Yakhinekone village. Most of the ferry's passengers were returning from a wedding ceremony.

Boat accidents are fairly common in Myanmar, where many people travel by boat and government oversight is lax. Poor maintenance and overcrowding makes the vessels prone to capsizing. People living in the delta region often travel and transport goods by boat because of the low cost and the inaccessibility of many areas by road.

In October, 48 people died when an overcrowded ferry capsized during a nighttime run on the Chindwin river in central Myanmar.</s>YANGON, Myanmar — A ferry boat capsized Friday evening in Myanmar's Ayeyarwaddy delta, killing at least 20 people, police said.

Police officer Nay Lin Tun said more than 40 people were on board the ferry.

He said police and firefighters were attempting to rescue passengers in the Ngawun River, where the accident occurred.

The cause of the accident was being investigated. No other details were immediately available.
Twenty people have died and more than a dozen missing after a ferry capsizes in Myanmar's Irrawaddy River delta.