3-Storeyed Ferry Vessel Catches Fire, At Least 39 Killed

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Dhaka: A packed three-storeyed ferry vessel caught fire in Bangladesh on Friday, killing at least 39 people and injuring more than 100, including many with burn injuries.

According to a report in Daily Star, MV Abhijan-10 had started from Dhaka and was headed to Barguna in southern Bangladesh when a fire broke out in the engine room in the early hours of Friday.

Senior police officer Moinul Islam told AFP that the ferry caught fire while crossing Sugandha river near the rural town of Jhakakathi in southern Bangladesh, 250 km from Dhaka.

“The three-storeyed Abhijan-10 caught fire mid-river. We have recovered over 30 bodies but the death toll may rise. Most died from the fire and a few by drowning after they jumped into the river,” Moinul stated.

Rescue operation were going on several hours after the accident. It’s the latest incident among several such incidents in a country of 170 million with numerous rivers and where waterways is a common mode of transportation.