A packed ferry collided with a cargo ship and sank in south Bangladesh early Tuesday, killing 31 people and leaving dozens of others missing and feared dead. Authorities estimate the MV Shariatpur-1 was carrying about 200 passengers when it capsized in Meghna river in the district of Munshiganj. The ferry was traveling to the capital, Dhaka, from Shariatpur district.

Local police chief Mohammad Shahabuddin Khan said divers have recovered 31 bodies from the sunken vessels so far. "The death toll is likely to rise as more bodies are feared trapped inside. We will get a better picture of the casualties once the sunken ferry is pulled out of the water,” he said.

Only 35 passengers were pulled from the river alive. Authorities believe more than 100 people remain missing.

The cause of the collision remains unclear and is under investigation.

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