Myanmar Ferry Sinks - Dozens Feared Dead

March 14, 2015. Off the western coast of Myanmar, an overloaded ferry succumbs to bad weather and sinks, leaving at least 47 people dead. Despite estimated numbers thus far, government officials believe that the death toll in this incident is much higher. The ship, carrying approximately 214 passengers and crew, voyaged across high seas late Friday from the coastal town of Taunggok to the capital of Rakhine state, Sittwe. A senior official with the Inland Water Transportation Department confirmed that, 167 have been rescued, but the rest are either feared dead or missing. Despite these numbers, residents in Taunggok believe that the death toll is likely higher, as ferries are often overloaded with unregistered passengers. Because of unregistered passengers, it's difficult to get estimated numbers from the number of tickets sold, because the number is simply unreliable. Sunken ferries are not uncommon in a region that heavily relies of poorly maintained ferries for transportation. A reported 10 people were killed in 2010 when a ferry capsized in the Irrawaddy delta region. Around 38 people died in 2008 when a ship sank in the Yway River. In recent years, the number of incidents rose given the departure of desperate Muslim Rohingya who, in the thousands, crowd into small and dangerous boats to escape persecution, usually in a voyage to Thailand or Malaysia.  

http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2015/3/14/dozens-feared-dead-as-myanmar-ferry-sinks.html

- Josephine Madrawska