DHAKA, Bangladesh — A ferry carrying more than 100 passengers capsized and sank Thursday in a river in central Bangladesh after being hit by a storm, and eight bodies have been recovered, an official said.

Many people swam to safety after the accident and it was unclear how many remained missing, local government administrator Saiful Hasan said. Ferries in Bangladesh often don’t have accurate passenger manifests.

He said the ferry M.V. Miraz-4 sank in the River Meghna as it was traveling toward Shariatpur from the capital, Dhaka. The accident took place when it was in Munshiganj district.

Hasan said there was confusion about the number of missing people.

Ferry accidents are common in Bangladesh, a low-lying delta nation, because of overcrowding, faulty vessels and lax rules.