Shipwreck death toll in Brazil rises to 8

Sao Paulo, Jan 24 The death toll from the shipwreck of a passenger boat that occurred last Sunday in Bahia de Todos los Santos, near the city of Salvador in the northeastern Brazilian state of Bahia, has risen to eight, the local Fire Department has confirmed.

Among the eight bodies found so far, two are minors, including a teenager, and the exact number of passengers at the time of the shipwreck is still unknown, Xinhua news agency reported.

Commander Wellington Lemos Gagno, head of the Bahia Port authority, reported at a press conference on Tuesday that the shipwreck may have been due to a fight between passengers on board over money issues.

"A fight shifts the centre of gravity of these small boats, taking away their stability," he said.

The vessel named "Gostosao FF" had updated documentation, but was irregularly transporting passengers, as its registration was to be used only for sports or recreational activities.

In the last 10 years, at least 47 deaths have been recorded in Bahia de Todos los Santos due to boat accidents and 238 shipwrecks, according to data from the Navy quoted by the newspaper Folha de Sao Paulo.

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