Bangladeshis mourn their missing relatives after a ferry capsized in the Padma river around 30 miles south of the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka on Monday. Agence France-Presse/Getty Images

DHAKA, Bangladesh—At least two people died and scores of others were missing and feared drowned after a ferry carrying more than 200 passengers capsized in central Bangladesh on Monday, authorities said.

The boat sank in the Padma river around 30 miles south of the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka, according to Tofazzal Hossain, the local police chief.

Mr. Hossain said around two dozen passengers had managed to swim ashore, while several others had been rescued by locals. Mr. Hossain said eye witnesses said up to 200 people may have perished.

Scores of people are killed in ferry accidents every year in Bangladesh, a low-lying river delta, where boats are the most common form of travel. Investigators have blamed overloading, unsafe vessels and poor navigation facilities for the accidents.

At least 58 people died in May when another ferry capsized in the same area.

Ferries in Bangladesh don't usually maintain passenger lists, so it was unclear how many people were aboard the MV Pinak-6. But officials of the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority in Dhaka said the boat was carrying between 200 and 300 passengers.

Some of the rescued passengers told local television that the boat was overloaded with passengers and overturned in a strong current mid-river.

"People were panicking and screaming," Khokon Mia, a survivor, told Somoy TV. "There were no life jackets or life boats. I was floating in the water. Some people in a speed boat came and rescued me."

A government rescue vessel is en route to the site of the accident, officials in Dhaka said.