Myanmar ferry disaster

Monday, November 16, 2009

YANGON, Myanmar — Much of Yangon was built on the trade of gold, silver, and Burma’s famous gemstones. Today you can still purchase rubies, sapphires, jade, and a wide variety of other artifacts at the 83-year-old, colonial-style Bogyoke Aung San Market.

That however disguises the hardships faced by residents who have access to electricity for only two hours a day. The rest of the day, the energy must come from their own ingenuity─whether from private, sometimes home-built generators, or from their labor.

Travel is primarily by boat due to its affordability as well as the fact that many areas are inaccessible by road.

On Monday officials confirmed that a ferry boat sunk after colliding with an oil barge in Myanmar’s Ayeyarwady Delta, leaving at least eight passengers dead and dozens more missing.

The motorized ferry “Nay Win Tun” with 176 passengers on board sank in the Ngawun River after leaving Pathein, some 84 miles (134 kilometers) west of Yangon.

The accident occurred late on Sunday with most of the passenger believed to be farmers.

Due to the restrictions placed on the media by the ruling junta information is slow in coming from Myanmar.