In Bangladesh, 36 people were killed when a fire broke out on a ferry

Officials say a ferry caught fire in southern Bangladesh on Friday, killing at least 36 people and injuring hundreds more. The incident occurred early in the morning near the rural town of Jhakakathi, around 250 kilometres from Dhaka, on the Sugandha River.

On Friday about 3:00 a.m. (local time), a fire broke out in the engine room of the MV Abhijan-10 launch heading for Barguna, which had started its journey from Dhaka.

"The three-storey Obhijan 10 caught fire mid-river. We have recovered 32 bodies. The death count may rise. Most died from the fire and a few by drowning after they jumped into the river," local police chief Moinul Islam told AFP news agency. "We have sent some 100 people with burn injuries to the hospitals in Barisal," he said.

According to officials, the ship was carrying a total of 500 people. Over 200 people were burned as a result of the fire. According to the report, the launch administration, police, and fire service workers are currently receiving treatment at local hospitals.

This is the most recent in a series of maritime disasters that have befallen the low-lying country in recent years. A fire in a food and beverage business in the industrial town of Rupganj killed 52 persons in July. In August, when a boat and a sand-laden cargo ship crashed in a lake in eastern Bangladesh, more than 20 people were killed.