8 dead, dozens missing in Myanmar ferry accident

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) -- A ferry boat has sunk after a collision in a river in Myanmar's Ayeyarwady Delta, killing at least eight passengers and leaving more than three dozen missing.

Officials said Monday that the motorized ferry "Nay Win Tun" carrying more than 176 persons sank in the Ngawun River after colliding with an oil barge soon after it left Pathein, 84 miles (134 kilometers) west of Yangon.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release information, said the accident occurred Sunday at about 8 p.m., and most of the passenger were farmers.

People living in the vast delta region often travel and transport goods by boat because of the low cost and inaccessibility of many areas by road.

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