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25 August 2017, 09:26

At least 39 people drowned in two ferry wrecks in Brazil

BRASILIA, 25 August (BelTA - Xinhua) - Two fatal ferry wrecks in Brazil have claimed at least 39 lives as rescue operation continues.

The latest maritime incident took place earlier Thursday near Salvador, capital of Brazil's eastern state of Bahia, when a ship carrying about 116 passengers and four crew members capsized shortly after its departure at 6:30 p.m. (2130 GMT) local time.

A total of 18 people were drowned, and 89 others were rescued in the afternoon, Bahia's Health Secretariat said.

The death toll has been revised down to 18 from the initial report of 22 as rescue operation went on.

Some passengers swam to shore and others were picked up, said the navy.

Three rescue teams were dispatched to the site before local fire department personnel joined the operation.

More than 30 people were being treated for injuries, the Bahia state health department said in a statement.

The state has declared three days of mourning following the tragedy.

The accident occurred two days after a tour boat sank on the Xingu River in the northern state of Para overnight Tuesday, leaving at least 21 dead.

Twenty-three people were rescued and five others were still unaccounted for, said the state's Secretariat of Public Security.

The vessel's captain said only 49 people were on board when it sank, though initial reports said it carried as many as 70 passengers.

The cause of the sinking remains unknown.

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