At least 37 people lost their lives and about 100 were injured today, due to a fire that broke out on board a three-decker river ferry sailing near the town of Jhalakathi. Local media reports that the crowded ferry had set sail from Dhaka and was headed for Barguna. “The three Obhjian 10 bridges caught fire in the center of the river. We recovered 32 lifeless bodies,” said the local police chief, Moinul Islam, according to whom some of the victims drowned after throwing themselves into the water to try to escape the flames. According to initial reports, up to 500 people were traveling on board the ferry. Accidents on board ferries are not unusual in Bangladesh, due to poor boat maintenance, rough safety measures and overcrowding.