MANAUS, BRAZIL — Search operations resumed Saturday morning for victims of a passenger speedboat that sank at the Encontro das Águas, near Manaus. The site, where the Rio Negro and the Rio Solimões meet, is one of the state’s best-known tourist attractions and sees heavy traffic from passenger boats, tour vessels and river transport serving remote communities. Two people were confirmed dead and seven others remain missing.

Police said the vessel, identified as Lima de Abreu XV, departed Friday afternoon from Manaus en route to Nova Olinda do Norte when it became unstable and sank. Videos recorded by passengers and nearby boaters show scenes of panic, with men, women and children struggling to stay afloat while awaiting rescue.

According to the Amazonas state fire department, 71 people were rescued alive from the river. Many showed signs of extreme exhaustion, early-stage hypothermia and water ingestion. Survivors were taken to a port facility along the capital’s waterfront that was converted into a temporary triage base, where they received initial medical care before being released or transferred to hospitals.

Seven people remain missing and two fatalities have been confirmed. One of the victims was a child and the other a 22-year-old woman. The bodies were examined by forensic authorities and sent to the state’s medical examiner’s office.

Relatives have gathered since early morning seeking information, closely monitoring rescue efforts in hopes of finding missing family members among the survivors.

Amazon Agency