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At least 38 passengers were burned dead as a devastating fire broke out in a launch named “MV OVijan-10” on Sugandha river of Jhalokathi district early Friday.
The incident took place around 3am while the launch was going to Barguna from Dhaka. It was reportedly carrying about a thousand passengers, according to sources.
Jhalokathi Deputy Commission Zohor Ali confirmed about the fire incident.
After receiving information about fire around 3:28am, fifteen fire service teams reached the spot around 3:50am.
Barishal Divisional Fire Service Deputy Director Kamal Uddin Bhuiyan led the rescued drive.
After two hours frantic efforts, the fire was brought under control around 5:20am.
“We recovered 38 bodies so far. The death toll may rise further,” Kamal Hossain Bhuiyan told The Business Standard.
Quoting rescued passengers, Kamal Hossain further said, “The launch caught fire, originating from the engine room, on the mid of Sugandha river. It was later anchored near Diakul village on the river bank.”
Rescue efforts are being hampered by heavy fog, the fire service official said.
Many passengers also had gone missing after the incident.
The fire service official also said that a launch ‘Angi Ghatok’ is coming from Barishal to recover dead bodies from the launch.
The passengers who escaped from the fire incident said that the fire broke out around 3am from canteen and engine room.
A passenger Ashraful said that the fire spread from the back side of ground floor of the launch to 2nd floor’s front side when it reached Deuri area of Ponabalia union.
Atiqul Islam, another passenger of the launch said that many people died from smoke and gas originated following the fire.
Besides, many jumped off to rescue from fire.
Ahmed Bhuiyan, the cabin boy of the launch, said there were more than five hundred passengers on the launch. Most of the cabin passengers upstairs jumped into the river. All those who were asleep died.
The passengers also claimed that Initially it was not possible to control the fire due to lack of adequate fire fighting system.
A staff member at the launch also acknowledged that the launch did not have adequate firefighting systems.
Jhalokathi Additional Superintendent of Police Moinul Haque said around 70 burn injured people have been rescued from the launch and sent to Jhalokathi Sadar Hospital.
Meanwhile, State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury expressed deep condolence over the deaths of the launch passengers in fire incident.
Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) has formed 6-member probe committee to look into the fire incident.
