Kishoreganji, Bangladesh - A crowded ferry sank during a tropical storm in northern Bangladesh, killing at least 36 people and leaving 50 more missing, officials said Tuesday.

The death toll from the accident late Monday could rise because some of those missing were feared trapped inside the sunken ferry, said local government administrator Sultan Ahmed. At least 150 people were aboard the MV Chanpur when it was caught in the storm and sank in the Ghorautra River, said Mizanur Rahman, a police official in the area about 50 miles north of capital, Dhaka.

Citing survivors' accounts, Rahman said more than 60 people either swam to safety or were rescued by area residents.

Rescuers recovered five bodies overnight and 31 more were found Tuesday, both officials said.

Rescue work was suspended overnight due to darkness, and resumed Tuesday.

Such accidents are relatively common in Bangladesh, a tropical delta nation with about 250 rivers. Ferries are a common form of transportation.