By Sumi Khan

Dhaka, Dec 24 (IANS): At 30 people were killed and over 200 others injured after a massive blaze ripped through a passenger ferry in Bangladesh, officials said.

The officials said that 70 passengers on board the ill-fated Barguna-bound MV Abhijan-10 have been rescued so far, while many others remain missing.

According to the police and fire personnel, the blaze broke out at around 3 a.m. when the ferry reached the Dapdapia area on the Sugandha River in Jhalakathi.

Confirming the news, Kamal Hossain Bhuiyan, deputy director of Barisal Fire Service, said that a total of 30 dead bodies recovered and five units were working to rescue the fire victims.

Rescue operations are being hampered due to heavy fog, the fire service official said.

Bhuiyan added that authorities suspect the fire may have started in the ferry's engine room.

Md Johar Ali, district commissioner (DC) of Jhalakathi said that the 70 rescued people have been sent to nearby hospitals.

Many passengers jumped into the river in a desperate bid to save their lives as the fire raged for about three hours, said the bdnews24 report, adding that the ferry was was packed with passengers when the accident occurred.