At Least 37 Dead in Bangladesh Ferry Fire

 At least 37 people have died after an overcrowded night ferry caught fire in Bangladesh.

AFP repots that the tragedy happened in the early hours on Friday in a river near Jhalokathi, 250km south of Dhaka.

It is believed the blaze originated in the engine room and ripped through the ferry.

Police say despite having an official capacity of 310 the vessel was carrying at least 500 people, many of who were returning home from the capital.

The police’s Moinul Islam told AFP they recovered 37 bodies.

“The death toll may rise. Most died from the fire and a few by drowning after many people jumped into the river.”

The accident is the latest in a string of similar incidents in the delta country crisscrossed by rivers.