The authorities of Bangladesh in charge of the investigation They have confirmed the death of 36 passengers of a river boat that it housed between 700 and 800 people. The accident also claimed approximately one hundred injured, while rescue work continues.
The fire broke out, for reasons that are still unknown, around 3:30 local time on the ship that was traveling from the district of Barguna to the bangladesh capital by river Sugandha. The administrative leader of the region, Mohammad Zohor Ali, affirmed that the rescue teams have recovered 36 bodies so far, while There are other information that raised the total of deaths to 39 people.
“We still don’t know exactly how many passengers were on the boat, we have different testimonies from different people. At the moment we assume that between 700 and 800 passengers were traveling on board, “he added. Ali.
Fog and night made intervention difficult
The ship, 3 stories high, I was sailing at dawn and through a dense fog, two very unfavorable factors to carry out rescue work within the same ship, and in turn of the dozens of people who jumped into the water fleeing the flames.
Sourav Ahmed Ashiq, A lawyer who was traveling on the ship, explained that the passengers became aware of the fire around three in the morning and they were forced to jump into the river. “It was night and it was also foggy. At first, We couldn’t decide where to swim, “Ashiq said.
The lawyer also tells how he observed several women jump into the river with their children tied behind their backs.
The rescue in a country accustomed to this type of event
Ashiq It also tells how they managed to save his life and reach the mainland: “We saw a light, and we swam in that direction. The locals rescued us and gave us dry clothes, and tea. They took me to a hospital because I had breathed smoke, “he clarified.
The Asian country experiences constant disasters related to boats, since Bangladesh is a country with hundreds of waterways, especially in the area of delta of Ganges, so this means of transport is common for locals. Crashes, collapses and various problems are the order of the day in this place. Passenger overload, and the poor condition of some of the boats, are the most common causes for these types of events to occur.
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