All survived in tourist vessel fire in Sundarbans

All 26 passengers of a cruise vessel escaped unhurt near Harbaria forest office in the Sundarbans under Chandpai range in Mongla upazila last evening when a fire broke out on it.

The passengers were out on the shore when the vessel named MV Pelican-1 caught fire around 6:30pm, said our Bagerhat correspondent.

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Zahir Uddin, conservator of forest in Khulna, said, a rescue vessel departed from Mongla for Harbaria last evening to bring back the stranded passengers.

The fire started inside a cabin on the boat and later it engulfed the entire boat, the forest conservator said. "After noticing smoke on the boat, our forest officials rushed to the scene. All the passengers and the crew of the boat are safe."

The cause of the fire could not be ascertained immediately, "but it might be due to short circuit," he added.

Syedul Islam, divisional forest officer for eastern zone, said, "The tourists were on the land when the fire broke out."

Fire fighters, coast guards and forest officials were trying to douse the fire, he also said.

Our Bagerhat correspondent reports, the tour vessel MV Pelican-1, with at least 26 passengers on board, was on an excursion to the Sundarbans arranged by a private tour operator.