Dhaka, Dec. 27 (BNA) Rescue workers are still searching for dozens of missing people after a fire broke out on a crowded ferry in southern Bangladesh, killing at least 39 passengers, officials said Sunday.
The MV Obhijan-10 ferry was carrying nearly 800 people on Friday as it was moving along the Sugandha River in Jhalakathy district, about 150 kilometers southwest of Dhaka.
“We have prepared a list of 29 passengers who are still missing, based on reports from their relatives,” Zohar Ali, head of the region’s administration, told dpa. He told Deutsche News Agency (dpa) that workers at the fire department and civil defense who are looking for people did not find anyone on Sunday.
“We are not entirely sure if they are alive,” he said.
He said that the local administration buried 23 bodies after collecting DNA samples, as the relatives were not immediately able to identify them, adding that the other bodies were handed over to the relatives.
Television footage showed several hundred people on the river bank waiting for news of the missing.
Poor safety standards and malfunctions of firefighting equipment led to a high death toll in the blaze, according to an official investigating the accident.
“The Fire Safety Department was almost inoperative, and those responsible for the operation were unable to manage it,” said Lt. Col. Zilor Rahman of the Fire Service and Civil Defense, based on preliminary investigations.
He said it was easier to fight the fire with a working pump and hose system. He could not determine the cause of the fire.
“We hope to be able to finish the investigation within two weeks,” Abdul Rahman said.
The Bangladesh Shipping Directorate filed a case in the Maritime Court against eight people, including four owners and captains of the ferry on Sunday. They are accused of violating safety regulations and could face up to five years in prison if found guilty.
Deaths in ferry accidents are frequent in Bangladesh, the country of many rivers, due to lax enforcement of regulations.
FKN