A boat built for 25 people had 60 passengers on board

Apr 20, 2013 09:40 GMT  ·  By

A boat carrying over 60 passengers has sunk in Brazil on Friday, April 19, leaving at least 13 people dead and several others missing.

K Pop Starz reports that the vessel capsized after being drawn by strong currents near the mouth of the Amazon river.

According to Military Police Sargent Orivaldo Santos, the boat had a capacity of 25 and was massively overcrowded.

The Independent adds that 46 people on board have been accounted for, while rescuers search for the missing passengers.

The captain of the Leao do Norte has not given out information on the exact number of people on board, claiming that a head count has not been performed upon them boarding the vessel.

Santos notes that a rescue operation is still in place, but first responders do not know how many people they are searching for.

The boat rolled over as rapid currents on a tributary of the Amazon dragged it for two km (miles). It sank off the Marajo Island in the early morning, during a trip that was supposed to last for 10 hours.

The passengers were locals headed for Belem, in the jungle state of Para in northern Brazil. Para port authority rep, Lieutenant Marco Antonio Costa mentions that they are still investigating the cause of the incident.

Locals most likely had no other means of transportation from Marajo Island to the city of Para. Some of them intended to buy supplies while others sold fish and vegetables at the market there. There is no information on whether or not they were carrying the product with them.

Wikipedia informs that the city of Belem lies on the Amazon river mouth, in the heart of the Brazilian Amazon region. It is a center for trade in the area and has developed as a port city.