At least 36 dead, 200 injured in Bangladesh’s ferry fire

In a tragic incident, at least 36 people died and nearly 200 were injured on Friday after a fire swept through a ferry in Bangladesh. The incident happened on the Sugandha river in the Jhalakathi district, nearly 250 km from the capital Dhaka.

According to the police, a three-storey ship travelling on the Sugandha river caught fire in the early hours of the morning. The death toll is also expected to rise, the officials said. Some panicked passengers jumped into the river.

“The three-storey Obhijan 10 caught fire mid-river. We have recovered 32 bodies. The death toll may rise. Most died from the fire and a few by drowning after they jumped into the river,” local police chief Moinul Islam said.

The officials said the accident was believed to have been caused by a fire in the engine room of a ship returning from Dhaka. The vessel was carrying about 500 people. The injured are currently undergoing treatment at local hospitals.