SAWT BEIRUT INTERNATIONAL

| 12 October 2024, Saturday |

36 dead as three-storey packed ferry catches fire mid river in Bangladesh

At least 36 people were killed when a crowded ferry caught fire in southern Bangladesh on Friday, according to police.
“In the middle of the river, the three-story Obhijan 10 caught fire. We’ve found 36 bodies so far.It’s possible that the death toll will grow.The majority were killed in the fire, and a few drowned after jumping into the river, “Moinul Islam, the local police head, said.”
An incident occurred early in the morning near the southern rural village of Jhakakathi, 250 kilometres (160 miles) south of the capital, Dhaka.
The catastrophe was the latest in a series of such mishaps in the delta nation, which is crisscrossed by rivers.
Poor maintenance, inadequate safety regulations at shipyards, and overpopulation are all blamed by experts in the 170 million-strong South Asian country.