At least 51 people have been killed after a boat capsized in the Karatoya River in northern Bangladesh on Sunday, local police confirmed on Monday.

The small boat, packed mostly with women and children on their way to a popular temple, was carrying around 90 people, of whom around 50 were pilgrims on their way to the centuries-old Hindu temple for a major festival, the police said.

Regional police chief Sirajul Huda said on Monday that up to 15 people were still missing. 

"We called off the search in the night. We will resume our search operation tomorrow morning," he told AFP, adding that police have lowered the number of missing people as some have reported that they have found relatives who had swum to safety.

(Cover: People gather along the banks of the Karatoya river after a boat capsized near the town of Boda, Bangladesh, September 25, 2022. /CFP)