Bangladesh ferry sinks
Bangladeshi rescue workers search for dead bodies inside a sunken ferry on the river Meghna in Munshiganj district, some 50 kilometers south of Dhaka, May 17, 2014.
A passenger ferry with about 250 passengers on board has capsized on a river in central Bangladesh, officials say.

The incident took place on Monday when the overloaded M.V. Pinak was crossing the River Padma in Munshiganj district around 30 kilometers (20 miles) south of the capital Dhaka, said Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority Chairman Samsuddoha Khondaker.

Officials say 12 bodies have been recovered so far. They added that 50 passengers had been rescued as well but many were feared trapped or drowned.

"We have heard that the ferry was overloaded with passengers and the river was rough," said local police chief Tofazzal Hossain.

Police have launched an investigation to find the cause of the incident.

Ferry accidents are common in Bangladesh due to poor safety standards for vessels, which are often overloaded.

In May, a ferry accident killed about 50 people in the same district.