Twenty-six killed in boat accident in Bangladesh

At least 26 people died and several were missing after an overcrowded speedboat collided with a sand-laden bulk carrier and sank on Bangladesh's giant Padma River on Monday, police said.

"Rescuers found 26 dead bodies and some still could be missing," said Miraj Hossain, a senior police official of the central Madaripur district, where the accident occurred.

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Five people were rescued and sent to hospital, he said.

Hundreds of people die each year in ferry accidents in Bangladesh, a low-lying country that has extensive inland waterways and lax safety standards.