On August 22, the wooden passenger ship Comandante Ribeiro sank on the Xingu River near Porto de Moz, Brazil. The river vessel had departed from Santarém with plan stops at the towns of Monte Alegro, Prainha and Porto de Moz. The vessel had between 40 and 75 passengers on board when it sank in stormy weather. Many passengers became trapped as many found shelter under a tarp due to the heavy rains.

Reports state some 15 people were able to swim ashore. Local residents along with authorities searched the area for survivors. Some 10 bodies have been recovered.</s>At least seven reported dead, 40 missing and 25 rescued after boat carrying about 70 people sinks in Para state.

A boat carrying about 70 people has sunk on a major river in northern Brazil, leaving at least seven dead and dozens more missing, according to authorities.

The public security office of the state of Para on Wednesday said that 25 people made it to the shore and seven bodies, including of a teenager and a child, were recovered. At least 40 others were missing.

Authorities said the boat was traveling on the Xingu River when it sank late on Tuesday.

The cause was not immediately clear.

The Folha de S. Paulo newspaper said the vessel left on Monday night from Santarem and was heading to Vitoria do Xingu.

Travel by river is common in Brazil's northern states, which include the Amazon rainforest and have relatively fewer major roads.

In early August, a cargo vessel collided with a tugboat on the Amazon River, also in the state of Para.

Only two people were rescued out of 11 aboard the tugboat.</s>A passenger boat carrying about 70 people sank in the northern Brazilian state of Pará, with at least seven people confirmed dead, authorities said on Wednesday.

Authorities said 25 people had been found alive following the Tuesday night shipwreck on the Xingu River, according to a statement from the State Secretary for Public Security and Social Defense. Bodies of a teenager and a child were among those recovered.

Rescue operations were underway and civil police were investigating the cause of the shipwreck.</s>SAO PAULO/BRASILIA, Aug 23 (Reuters) - A passenger boat carrying about 70 people sank in the northern Brazilian state of Pará, with at least seven people confirmed dead, authorities said on Wednesday.

Authorities said 25 people had been found alive following the Tuesday night shipwreck on the Xingu River, according to a statement from the State Secretary for Public Security and Social Defense. Bodies of a teenager and a child were among those recovered.

Rescue operations were underway and civil police were investigating the cause of the shipwreck. (Reporting by Maria Clara C Pestre and Jake Spring; Editing by Dan Grebler)</s>(RIO DE JANEIRO) — A boat carrying 70 people sank on a major river in northern Brazil leaving at least 10 dead and dozens missing, authorities said Wednesday.

The public security office of the state of Para said 15 people made it to the shore and 10 bodies were recovered, while the rest were unaccounted for. Earlier the office had reported that 25 reached the shore.

Authorities said the boat was traveling on the Xingu River when it sank late Tuesday. The cause was not immediately clear.

The Folha de S. Paulo newspaper said the vessel left Monday night from Santarem and was heading to Vitoria do Xingu.

Survivor Bruno Costa, a 29 year-old disc jockey, described a chaotic scene as the boat cracked apart and quickly sank. He told the G1 news portal that a tarpaulin sheltering passengers from a heavy downpour made it escape difficult.

"The tarp prevented many people from leaving. I managed to rescue a child of about 2, but neither I nor the child had a life jacket on," Costa said.

Costa said a man trying to get off the boat suddenly jumped on his back and grabbed the child away from him. He last saw the man sinking in the river and did not know what happened to the child. He told G1 he found a life jacket and used it to stay afloat, but he saw many others in the water who "failed to make it."

Travel by river is common in Brazil's northern states, which include the Amazon rainforest and have relatively fewer major roads.

In early August a cargo vessel collided with a tugboat on the Amazon River, also in the state of Para. Only two people were rescued out of 11 aboard the tugboat.</s>At least seven people are dead and dozens missing after a boat carrying 70 people sank on a major river in northern Brazil, authorities said.

The public security office of the state of Para said on Wednesday that 25 people made it to the shore and seven bodies were recovered. The rest are missing.

Authorities say the boat was travelling on the Xingu River when it sank late on Tuesday. The cause was not immediately clear.

The Folha de S Paulo newspaper said the vessel left from Santarem on Monday night and was heading to Vitoria do Xingu.

Travel by river is common in Brazil's northern states, which include the Amazon rainforest and have relatively few major roads.</s>RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — A boat carrying 70 people sank on a major river in northern Brazil with at least seven dead and dozens missing, authorities said Wednesday.

The public security office of the state of Para said that 25 people made it to the shore and seven bodies were recovered. The rest were missing.

Authorities said the boat was traveling on the Xingu River when it sank late Tuesday. The cause wasn’t immediately clear.

The Folha de S. Paulo newspaper said the vessel left Monday night from Santarem and was heading to Vitoria do Xingu.

Travel by river is common in Brazil’s northern states, which include the Amazon rainforest and have relatively fewer major roads.

In early August, a cargo vessel collided with a tugboat on the Amazon River, also in the state of Para. Only two people were rescued out of 11 aboard the tugboat.</s>RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Authorities in northern Brazil say a boat carrying 70 has sunk on a major river, with at least seven dead and dozens missing.

The public security office of the state of Para said Wednesday that 25 people made it to the shore and seven bodies were recovered. The rest are missing.

Authorities say the boat was traveling on the Xingu River when it sank late Tuesday. The cause isn’t immediately clear.

Folha de S. Paulo says the vessel left Monday night from Santarem and was heading to Vitoria do Xingu.

Travel by river is common in Brazil’s northern states, which include the Amazon rainforest and have relatively fewer major roads.</s>A boat carrying 70 people sank on a major river in northern Brazil with at least seven dead and dozens missing, authorities said Wednesday.Authorities said the boat was traveling on the Xingu River when it sank late Tuesday. The cause wasn't immediately clear. The Folha de S. Paulo newspaper said the vessel left Monday night from Santarem and was heading to Vitoria do Xingu.Travel by river is common in Brazil's northern states, which include the Amazon rainforest and have relatively fewer major roads.In early August, a cargo vessel collided with a tugboat on the Amazon River, also in the state of Para. Only two people were rescued out of 11 aboard the tugboat.
The passenger ship Comandante Ribeiro sinks in the Xingu River near Porto de Moz, Brazil, with the loss of at least ten lives.