Ferry rescuers continue search

Relatives gather to mourn on the Jamuna riverbank

Rescuers in Bangladesh are continuing their search for scores of people missing after a ferry sank west of the capital, Dhaka.

Two bodies have so far been retrieved from the River Jamuna. A salvage vessel is due to arrive on Wednesday evening.

The ferry was heading towards Aricha river port from the district of Pabna.

It was the second ferry disaster of the week - 60 died and 20 others are still missing after a ferry went down in Patuakhali in the south on Sunday.

Reports say at least 20 more people died and more than 500 others were injured as tropical storms swept across at least 21 north-western districts, uprooting trees, and damaging homes, power lines and communication links.

Case filed

Officials suspect both sunken ferries were heavily overloaded.

The second went down when a fierce storm hit the area.

Rescuers said strong currents and winds have been hampering the rescue efforts.

About 20 people are said to have survived the second disaster.

Ferry accidents kill scores of people every year in Bangladesh.

Police have meanwhile filed a case against the owners of the ferry that sank on Sunday.

"The case has been registered against them for overloading and running the ferry in dangerous weather conditions," district police chief Shafiqul Islam told the AFP news agency.

"The owners... have gone missing but they will be arrested and prosecuted."