A small, overloaded ferry boat capsized in a remote area of northeastern Brazil and police said on Monday that 10 children died and one more remained missing.

The bodies of the 10 children - all but one younger than eight years old and most from the same extended family - were pulled from the Sao Francisco river near the town of Pilao Arcado in Bahia state, police said.

Authorities think high winds, rough waters and far too many people aboard the small boat caused it to capsize on Sunday evening.

Seven adults survived the accident.

Investigator Arnobio Dionisio Soares told the UOL Internet news portal that the owner of the boat - who was not on board when it capsized - could face involuntary manslaughter charges because there was no safety equipment aboard the vessel.

He added that the small boat was meant to only transport three people at a time.

This incident comes in the wake of several ferry incidents in Vietnam, the most high profile of which occurred in January 2009, when a small overloaded ferry sank in Quang Binh province killing at least 40 people.

Drowning as a result of overcrowded ferries also occurs regularly in the Philippines, Bangladesh and Indonesia, where a recent August 2010 ferry sinking killed 11 people, with 32 missing presumed drowned. These incidents only serve to highlight the dangers of over-crowded vessels and the need for regulations, development and widespread education programs that promote the availability and use of PFDs on all water craft in developing countries.

The original article can be viewed HERE

Associated Press

The conference organisers welcome contributions to this news facility. Please send all contributions to jscarr@rlssa.org.au