Indian divers and rescue workers are looking for survivors on the Brahmaputra river in Assam state, where a ferry capsized during a storm on Monday, killing at least 103 people.
Police said about 150 people had been rescued or swam to safety while at least 100 more were missing.
The death toll was likely to rise, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said.
Lax safety standards mean ferry accidents are common on the river, but this is one of the worst disasters.
The accident happened in the remote district of Dhubri, about 350 km (215 miles) west of Assam’s main city, Guwahati.
The ferry capsized and broke into two pieces during the storm, police said.
Many of Indian boats are overcrowded with poor or minimal safety features
Witnesses said many passengers were swept away by the river’s strong current after the boat broke up.
A passenger, Hasnat Ali, told local TV channels that about 200 people were travelling inside the boat along with cargo.
Hasnat Ali said he was riding on the top of the ferry with 150 other people when the storm hit, throwing off many of them.
He said he managed to hold on to a log and was rescued by villagers.
The ferry carried no lifeboats or life jackets and was overloaded with people and goods, according to a police officer quoted by Reuters news agency.
Boats are a common mode of transport in the area, which is dotted with small islands and villages along the banks of the river.
Many of the boats are overcrowded with poor or minimal safety features.
[youtube oGqXiP-VkVk]
At least 103 people have died after a ferry capsized during a storm in north-eastern India, local police say.
The vessel was reported to be carrying at least 300 passengers on the Brahmaputra river in Assam state.
Reports say more than 100 people are missing, while dozens of others either were rescued or made it to safety.
Poor safety standards mean ferry accidents are common on the river but that this is one of the worst disasters in recent memory.
At least 103 people have died after a ferry capsized during a storm in north-eastern India
Police officials said it happened in the remote district of Dhubri during heavy winds and rain.
Dhubri is about 350 km (215 miles) west of Assam’s main city, Guwahati.
The vessel capsized and broke into two pieces during the storm, police said.
“I could see people being swept away as the river current was very strong,” a witness to the accident, Rahul Karmakar, told AFP news agency.
Assam state Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said emergency teams were in place but nightfall and bad weather were hampering rescue efforts.
The ferry carried no lifeboats or life jackets, and was overloaded with people and goods, with passengers sitting on the roof, according to a police officer quoted by the Reuters news agency.
In a statement, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said he was “shocked and grieved” by the incident.
Manmohan Singh has “given instructions for all possible assistance to the government of Assam in relief operations”, the statement added.
Boats are a common mode of transport in the area, which is dotted with small islands and villages along the banks of the river.
Many of the boats are overcrowded with poor or minimal safety features.
