Fire on ferry kills 38 and injures 100 in Bangladesh

(News 1st): A crowded ferry transporting around 500 people caught fire on Friday (24) in Southern Bangladesh, where 38 people lost their lives and 100 were injured, local Bangladeshi officials stated.

As it sailed from Dhaka to Barguna, the three-storey Obhijan 10 ferry boat caught flames mid-river near the town of Jhalakathi, 250km south of the capital Dhaka, reported Bangladeshi media.

The fire started from the engine room of the ferry setting it ablaze, victims jumped in to the rive and many drowned as a result.

Many passengers died to severe burns and it is likely that the number of casualties will increase and  more than 50 people have been admitted to hospital, with some passengers still missing and some others in critical condition, local police chief Moinul Islam told foreign media.

In Bangladesh, ferry accidents are common, with disasters attributed to poor maintenance, inadequate safety standards at shipyards, and overcrowding.