Fire on crowded Bangladesh ferry leaves dozens dead

Dhaka: A massive fire has swept through a crowded river ferry in Bangladesh, leaving at least 39 people dead and 70 injured, officials said. Many passengers leapt from the vessel into cold waters to escape the blaze early on Friday, local time.

It took 15 fire engines two hours to control the fire and another eight to cool down the vessel, according to fire officer Kamal Uddin Bhuiyan, who led the rescue operation. Afterward, the blackened hull of the ferry sat anchored at the river’s edge. Many anxious relatives gathered on the banks, while divers continued to search the waters.

The burnt passenger ferry is anchored off the coast of Jhalokati district on the Sugandha River in Bangladesh.Credit:AP

The blaze broke out around 3am on the MV Avijan-10, which was carrying 800 passengers, many of whom were travelling to visit family and friends for the weekend, officials said.

“I was sleeping on the deck and woke up hearing screams and a loud noise,” survivor Anisur Rahman said, adding that he saw smoke coming from the back of the ferry. “I jumped into the freezing water of the river in the thick fog, like many other passengers, and swam to the riverbank.”

A man consoles a relative who could not find his 5-year-old son after the ferry fire.Credit:AP

Police officer Moinul Haque said rescuers recovered 37 bodies from the river, while two people died from burn injures on the way to the hospital. All of the 70 injured were hospitalised, including some with severe burns.

Ferries are a leading means of transportation in Bangladesh, which is crisscrossed by about 130 rivers, and accidents involving the vessels are common, often blamed on overcrowding or lax safety rules.

The ferry was travelling from Dhaka, the capital, to Barguna, about 250 kilometres to the south. It caught fire off the coast of Jhalokati district on the Sugandha River, toward the end of the journey.

Bhuiyan said the fire may have started in the engine room. The government set up two committees to investigate the blaze and ordered them to report their findings in three days.

In April, 25 people died after a ferry collided with another vessel and capsized outside Dhaka.

AP

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