More than 1,000 feared dead in ferry disaster

THE toll of victims missing and presumed dead in Senegal's ferry disaster has soared

Only 64 people are known to have survived the ocean ferry's capsizing rescued by passing fishing boats in the early hours of Friday morning, after the Senegalese state-run MS Joola capsized in a fierce gale.

Last night, the government added 185 passengers who had boarded the ferry at a second stop en route from southern Senegal, and the 55-member crew bringing the total of those aboard to 1,034 Reports say the ferry was designed to hold no more than 600 people.