SAO PAULO: At least 18 people were killed AND 30 were missing when a riverboat sank in the Amazon rainforest region, Brazilian, authorities confirmed on Tuesday.
The ferry was taking passengers up the Jari River, a tributary of the Amazon when it suddenly began to tip over at around dawn. Authorities said late Monday that beyond the 18 deaths, they had rescued 46 survivors while 30 others were still missing.
They added Search operations were continuing, using helicopters, planes and rescue divers. The Brazilian navy told it had opened an inquiry into the mishap, however, the cause of the incident yet be ascertained.
Survivor Vanderleia Monteiro said the boat seemed to run into difficulty when another boat pulled alongside it and tried to anchor, a common practice for the ferries that travel the Amazon and its tributaries.
Monteiro said that they escaped through the window and felt their way up the outside wall of the boat as it tipped over, she said. The Amapa state authorities said it was heading for Santarem, in the bordering state of Para, about a 36-hour trip.
Rescue helicopters took about nine hours to reach because the area is so distant. Three of the victims were girls aged between seven and 10.
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