Bangladesh 500-passenger boat catches fire, 32 dead, many missing

 

Bangladesh 500-passenger boat catches fire, 32 dead, many missing

At least 32 people have been killed after a passenger boat caught fire in southern Bangladesh on Friday, foreign media reported.

The incident took place this morning near Jalokati, a southern rural town about 250 kilometers (155 miles) south of the capital Dhaka. There were about 500 people on board.

 

"The three-story Obhijaan 10 caught fire in the middle of the river and 32 bodies have been found so far. The death toll is expected to rise. Moinul Islam said.

Islam says the fire is believed to have started in the engine room and then spread through a crowded port.

 

"We have sent about 100 people with burn injuries to hospitals in Barisal," he said. Search operations for missing persons have also been launched.

 

 Criticisms have been leveled at poor maintenance, loosening of safety standards at docks and congestion.