UP to 70 people are feared drowned after a boat carrying churchgoers was cut in two after colliding with a barge.

       Among the dead are believed to be 20 children, who were on the vessel when it was struck in the early morning fog in the Amazon in Peru.

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       Victims of the accident being taken ashore Credit: Noticias 3

       The remains of the boat lying in the water Credit: Twitter/jandlercase3

       Harrowingly, one survivor told of how he saved one of his sons but he lost his wife and another son, aged seven, the tragedy.

       The boat collected around 80 people at around 1am who had gathered for a vigil and they were on the river when they were hit at around 4.20am, he told local TV.

       It was sailing slowly to avoid a collision but the barge, which was carrying oil, had no lights on and struck the vessel, he said.

       "It was dark. Nothing was visible. At the moment of impact, in a couple of seconds we fell in,” he said.

       “Most of cannot swim and there were children. We were under the boat but managed to get out. I have lost my wife and my seven-year-old son.”

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       Another survivor, a woman named Valentina, said: “I do how to swim and rescued my children, my little sister, but I still have not found my 14-year-old brother who is missing.”

       Local media reports people were returning to the town of Yurimaguas after a night vigil at their New Jerusalem church.

       One of the survivors explained there were about 20 children on the boat.

       Video showed the remains of the vessel lying by the riverbank.

       The Peruvian navy and firefighters were helped in their rescue efforts by local people while those survivors who could swim made it to the river bank.

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       The tragedy occurred in the early morning Credit: Noticias