38 killed in ferry fire in Bangladesh; toll likely to rise

Dhaka [Bangladesh], December 24 : Atleast 38 people have been killed after a ferry caught fire on Sugandha River in the southern district of Jhalakathi early on Friday.
Officials said the death toll is likely to rise as many passengers sustained burn injuries when a fire swept through the Barguna-bound "MV Obhijan" after midnight, Dhaka Tribune reported.
More than 70 passengers of the launch have been sent to the local hospitals, Fire Service Deputy Director Kamal Hossain Bhuiyan told the media.
The fire is believed to have originated in the engine room and then ripped through the launch packed with people, he said.
Flames erupted around 3 am when the launch reached the Dapdapia area. The vessel then went to the Diakul area of Jhalakathi Sadar upazila and dropped anchor on the river bank.