Ferry Fire Kills at Least 30 in Southern Bangladesh

World

December 24th, 7:18am

Asharq Al-Awsat

Onlookers and relatives gather after the authorities recovered the capsized boat in Shitalakshya River, in Narayanganj, Bangladesh, April 5, 2021. (AFP)

Bangladesh fire services say at least 30 passengers have been killed and many others injured in a massive fire that swept through a ferry on the southern Sugandha River. The blaze broke out around 3 a.m. Friday on the MV Avijan-10 off the coast of Jhalokati district. Fire officer Fazlul Haque said rescuers have so far recovered 30 bodies and rescued 72 injured passengers. He said the rescue mission is ongoing and the casualties are likely to go up. There was no word on what caused the fire. Ferry accidents are common and are often blamed on overcrowding and lax rules in Bangladesh, which is crisscrossed by about 130 rivers. Ferries are a leading means of transportation, especially in the southern and northeastern regions. In April, 25 people died after a ferry collided with another vessel and capsized outside Bangladesh’s capital.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3376216/ferry-fire-kills-least-30-southern-bangladesh