"The number of deaths is certain to rise." said an official in charge of the rescue work. "No one really knows how many people were on board or how many of them survived."
Ferries in Bangladesh dont always keep passenger lists, making it difficult to determine the exact number of people on board.
Besides the ferry accidents, at least 40 people were killed and 400 injured by lightning strikes, falling houses and trees and the sinking of small boats.
Storms are common this time of year in Bangladesh, as are boating accidents. Ferry disasters take away hundreds of lives every year in a nation of 130 million people.
Officials blame these river accidents on a lack of safety measures: too many passengers in boats and not enough checks on weather conditions.
Ferries are a common means of transport in Bangladesh. It is a country covered by about 230 rivers. Some 20, 000 ferries use the nations Waterways every year. And many of them are dangerously overcrowded.
Since 1977, more than 3 000 people have died in some 260 boating accidents.
词汇:
ferry n. 渡船
waterway n. 水路,水道
Bangladesh:孟加拉国,位于南亚
练习:
1. How many people have been found dead in the two ferry disasters?
A、Over 130.
B、At least 40.
C、About 400.
D) Over 3, 000.
2. The two ferry disasters occurred
A)at noon.
B)in the morning.
C) at night.
D)In the afternoon.
3?How many passengers was MV Mitali designed to carry?
A)500.
B)100.
C)400.
D)300.
4. Officials attribute boating accident to