Boat sinks with 110 people aboard in Brazilian Amazon; at least 12 dead
By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
A boat ferrying more than 100 people home from a party sank in Brazil's Amazon region before dawn Sunday, killing at least 12 and leaving dozens missing, rescue officials said Sunday.
The Comandante Sales capsized and swiftly sank in the Solimoes River, one of the Amazon's largest tributaries, Fire Lt. Col. Raimundo Rodrigues da Silva said. The vessel was taking passengers home from a party near the jungle city of Manaus.
It was unclear what kind of boat the Comandante Sales was or how many passengers it was equipped to carry - but most boats that move people across the Amazon region are large wooden ferries, sometimes with two stories. The area has few roads.
Rescue workers recovered the bodies of 10 women and two men while several dozen others were unaccounted for, Silva said, noting that it was unlikely the boat had carried a passenger list. Victims had not been identified.