37 killed, 100 injured as ferry caught fire in Bangladesh

Dhaka, Bangladesh: A horrible incident has been reported in Bangladesh where a ferry with around 500 passengers on board caught fire, killing atleast 37 individuals, leaving over 100 injured today (December 24, 2021). 

Seeing the ferry on fire, many passengers jumped into the water with the hope to save themselves but ended up drowning. The three-decked vessel sailed from the capital Dhaka to the town of Barguna and was on blaze in the middle of the river near the town of Jhalakathi. 

The Doctors fear that the casualties are highly expected to hike. The injured are having severe burns on their bodies. 

One of the passengers who survived, while talking to the media and narrating the incident, cited, “We were sleeping on a mat on the ground floor deck, adding that, my 9-year-old grandson, Nayeem, was with me, he jumped into the river. I do not know what happened to him. I am not having any news of my grandson yet”. 

The reason behind the fire – 

While addressing the media, the fire services official, Kamal Hossain Bhuiyan, informed that the blaze was believed to have formed in the engine room and quickly dispersed as the ferry voyaged along the Sugandha river early hours. The fire continued for hours. 

Often the incidents are reported where ferries capsize in Bangladesh. 

A committee has been established to investigate the matter. The ferries are usually poorly-maintained, and overcrowding increases the risk of such types of incidents. The data shows that around 30 percent of the Bangladesh population commute through river routes.  

In the month of June 2020, dozens of people lost their lives when a boat onboard with 50 people capsized near Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh.