BANGKOK, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- A ferry boat carrying as many as over 100 passengers capsized in the Chao Phraya River in central province Ayutthaya Friday morning, and rescue officials went on searching for possible missing victims, Thai News Agency reported.

    Initial reports said some 30 passengers were rescued and rushed to hospitals, with 26 suffering minor injuries while two female passengers were in critical condition.

    Passengers on the boat, mostly Muslims, were en route to a Muslim religious ceremony at a mosque in Ayutthaya, an ancient capital and popular tourist destination 70 kilometers north to Bangkok.

    The report said the boat capsized after most passengers moved to one side of the stern to avoid bright sunlight, which unbalanced the boat, the report said. Some passengers panicked and even jumped into the river as the boat began to sink.

    Boat owner Nopporn Kittithummakul reportedly told police that his boat was not overloaded and that he would be willing to shoulder medical fees for injured passengers.

    However, the English-language newspaper Bangkok Post said on its website that the two-deck boat had carried more than 150 people. The report said the boat had a license to carry only 60 people.