Dhaka
\nAt least 37 people were killed when an overcrowded night ferry caught fire in Bangladesh on Friday, police said, as terrified passengers jumped overboard to escape the blaze.
\nThe latest maritime tragedy to hit the impoverished low-lying nation happened in the early hours in a river near Jhalokathi, 250 kilometres (160 miles) south of Dhaka.
\n\u201cWe have recovered 37 bodies. The death toll may rise. Most died from the fire and a few by drowning after many people jumped into the river,\u201d local police chief Moinul Islam told AFP.
\nThe blaze was believed to have originated in the engine room and ripped through the ferry, Islam said. Despite having an official capacity of 310 the vessel was carrying at least 500 people, many of who were returning home from the capital.
\n\u201cWe have sent some 100 people with burn injuries to hospitals in Barisal,\u201d he said.
\nWitnesses said the fire originated at around 3:00 am (2100 GMT) and quickly spread.
\n\u201cWe were sleeping on a mat on the ground floor deck. All the passengers were sleeping. My nine-year-old grandson, Nayeem, was with me, he jumped into the river. I don\u00b4t know what happened to him,\u201d said an elderly grandmother.
\nOther survivors said they saw a small fire in the engine room as soon as the packed ferry set off from the Sadarghat river station in Dhaka at 9:00 pm on Thursday.
\n\u201cA lot of people ran for safety as the fire spread. A lot of people could not get out of their cabins where they were sleeping. Many jumped into the river,\u201d said another survivor at Barisal Medical College Hospital.
\nJohar Ali, the local district administrator, said rescuers arrived at the scene within an hour after the fire broke out and rushed the injured to nearby hospitals.
\n\u201cWe spoke to passengers. And they said there were between 500 and 700 passengers,\u201d he told AFP.
\n\u201cThe fire went on for four or five hours before it was doused. The entire [ferry] has been gutted. But they managed to bring it to the shore,\u201d Ali said.
\nLocal television showed images of burnt motorcycles and gutted cabins inside the boat.
\nShell-shocked survivors and their relatives crowded the shore as fire service and coast guard divers scoured the muddy waters.
\nThe accident was the latest in a string of similar incidents in the delta country crisscrossed by rivers.
\nExperts in the South Asian nation of 170 million people blame poor maintenance, lax safety standards at shipyards and overcrowding.
\nIn August at least 21 people were killed when a boat packed with passengers and a sand-laden cargo ship collided. In April and May, 54 were killed in two separate accidents.
\nIn June last year, a ferry sank in Dhaka after it was hit from behind by another ferry, killing at least 32 people. In February 2015, at least 78 people died when an overcrowded ship collided with a cargo vessel.
\nFires are also a regular source of tragedy. In July, 52 people perished in a blaze in a food and beverage factory in Rupganj, an industrial town outside Dhaka.
\nAnd at least 70 people died in February 2019 when fire tore through Dhaka apartments where chemicals were illegally stored.
\nPakistan saddened by loss of lives: MOFA
\nA statement issued by Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan expressed grief over the unfortunate incident and offered condolences to the affected families and Bangladesh on the country\u2019s behalf.
\nThe MOFA also expressed solidarity and support with the people of Bangladesh in their moment of grief.
\n\u201cGovernment and people of Pakistan are deeply saddened by the loss of precious lives in a ferry accident in Jhalakathi district in Bangladesh. Our deepest condolences to the bereaved families and the Government of Bangladesh,\u201d the statement read.
\nAt this moment of grief, our thoughts and prayers are with the brotherly people of Bangladesh, it added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Dhaka At least 37 people were killed when an overcrowded night ferry caught fire in Bangladesh on Friday, police said, as terrified passengers jumped overboard to escape the blaze. The latest maritime tragedy to hit the impoverished low-lying nation happened in the early hours in a river near Jhalokathi, 250 kilometres (160 miles) south of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-234871","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n