<span style="color: #222222;">In Bangladesh, at least 40 people were killed and over 150 were injured as a passenger ferry caught fire midstream in the Sugandha river near Jhalokati sadar upazila in Bangladesh yesterday. The death toll is likely to go up as several of the injured persons are in critical condition. More than 800 passengers were on board the MV Abhijan when the fire broke out.<br />''<br />''Fire services official Kamal Hossain Bhuiyan has earlier said that the fire was believed to have started from the engine room and quickly engulfed the whole ferry. Most of the passengers were sleeping at that time. However, the ship's owner Hum Jalala Sheikh denied any mechanical fault as the cause of the fire.<br />''<br />''He told local news outlet UNB that there was a blast on the second floor of the ferry and the subsequent fire spread to the engine room. 15 firefighting units were deployed to bring the blaze under control, said the Fire service department.<br />''<br />''Bangladesh government set up a seven-member committee to enquire into the reasons for the accident and submit its report within three days.<br />''<br />''Bangladesh Inland Water Transport authority also formed a separate six-member committee to investigate the incident. States Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury left for Jhalakathi to take stock of the situation.</span><br />