Living in Peru : your everyday companion

(LIP-ir) -- The death toll has risen to fifty in what has been labeled one of Peru's most tragic boat accidents in history.

The "Santa Elena" was carrying passengers and cargo when it capsized on the Tapiche River Thursday.

According to local news, nineteen children, from newborns to 12 year olds, lost their lives in the accident, which took place in the region of Loreto, over 500 miles from Lima.

Peru's National Police reported that of the fifty people who are considered dead, only eight have been found.

Despite the efforts of citizens in the area, Peru's Navy and the national police, the missing bodies have not been found.

Strong winds and torrential rain are the reasons thought to be responsible for the boat flipping over, said national police officers. Santa Elena was carrying approximately 100 passengers when the tragic accident happened Thursday evening.

Several bodies have been found downstream while others have been taken from different compartments on the vessel, said Alfonso Cárdenas, a municipal authority.

Despite difficult weather conditions, rescue efforts continue. A family of four was found alive beneath the overturned hull 20 hours after the accident.

A mother and her three children were kept alive by an air bubble that rose to the top of the hull when the boat capsized.