Dhaka: At least 36 people died and nearly 200 other people were injured on Friday after a massive fire tore the passenger ferry packaged in the Sugandha River in South Bangladesh, officials said.
The fire broke around 3:00 a.m.
(local time) on Friday in the engine room from the launch of MV Abhijan-10 which was bound from Barguna which began a trip from Dhaka.
“The authorities restored a burning body from at least 36 people after the fire occurred at the launch of the passenger in the Sugandha River in Jhalakathi, 250 kilometers south of the capital Dhaka,” Dhaka Tribune reported.
The fire also handed over more than 200 other people with burns.
They are currently undergoing treatment at a local hospital, the report cites the launch, police and fire service personnel.
The death toll will likely increase because more passengers have been injured.
Rescuers have recovered 36 bodies so far from the charred launch, said Deputy Commissioner Jhalakathi Zohor Ali.
72 people have been hospitalized with injuries, according to fire service control rooms, BDNews24.com reported.
Many passengers jumped into the river in a desperate effort to save their lives when a fire raged for about three hours.
The victim said the launch was packed with passengers.
Kamal Uddin Bhuiyan, Deputy Director of Barishal Fire Service who led the response, said they suspected that the fire might have started in the launch engine room.
“After receiving information, 15 firefighters led by Kamal Uddin Bhuiyan, Deputy Director of the Barishal division service and civil defense went to the scene at 3:50 a.m.
and brought fire under control at 5:20 a.m.,” said fire.
Service control room statement.
“The launch engine room suddenly burned around 3:00 a.m.
and spread quickly when the ship was near the Gabkhan Bridge,” Rahman said, a survivor, as quoted by the Star Daily newspaper.
“There are around 500 passengers including children and elderly.
Many of them jump to the river and can swim to land,” he said.
“I caught a burning smell and came out of the VIP cabin to find out that there was a fire.
I, my wife and brother-in-law then jump into cold water and swim to the bank,” he added.
The probe will be launched to determine the cause of the fire and the amount of damage produced.