Dozens missing, 8 dead as Myanmar ferry sinks

Vessel carrying 176 passengers collides with barge in Irrawaddy Delta

Asia-Pacific video

Western China to see more ethnic unrest?
Nov. 25: In his own words, National Geographic reporter Matthew Teague discusses the summer’s violence in China's Xinjiang province, as well as the potential for further combustion in the culturally diverse region.

Cheetah triplets debut in Tokyo

Dalai Lama visits northern India

NBC World Blog

NBC News correspondents and producers around the globe share their insight on news events.

Breaking news alerts (about 1 per day)
Click here to sign up or text NEWS to MSNBC (67622).

Find more alerts at alerts.msnbc.com

updated 7:25 a.m. ET Nov. 16, 2009

YANGON, Myanmar - A ferry carrying nearly 200 passengers sank after colliding with an oil barge in a river in Myanmar, killing at least eight and leaving more than three dozen missing, officials said Monday.

The motorized ferry "Nay Win Tun" carrying 176 people sank in the Ngawun River after the collision, 84 miles west of Yangon.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release information, said the accident in the Irrawaddy Delta occurred around 8 p.m. Sunday, and most of the passengers were farmers.

Story continues below ↓

advertisement | your ad here

People living in the delta region, also known as the Ayeyarwady, often travel and transport goods by boat because of the low cost and inaccessibility of many areas by road.