On this day: October 20

1994 Sundarbans ferry fire kills hundreds

On Oct. 20, 1994, a passenger ferry caught fire and sank in the Sundarbans region between Bangladesh and India, resulting in the deaths of an estimated several hundred people and prompting criticism of safety standards for inland passenger vessels.

1994 Sundarbans Ferry Blaze Kills Hundreds in Bangladesh River Tragedy

A ferry fire on October 20 in the Sundarbans region of Bangladesh in 1994 engulfed an overcrowded vessel, killing an estimated hundreds of passengers and highlighting chronic safety and regulatory failures in the country’s inland water transport.