At least five people, including a woman and her eight-year-old son who sustained burn injuries in a fire on board the MV Abhijan-10 launch in Jhalakathi, were admitted to Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery on Friday.
Dr Partha Shankar Pal, resident surgeon of the institute, said Jiasmin Akter, 35, received 12 percent burn injuries and her son Tamim received 30 percent while Israt Jahan Sadia, 22, Bacchu Mia, 50, and Shahinur Begum Sopna received 20 percent, 4 percent and 90 percent injuries respectively.
Abul Hossain, Jiasmin Akter’s uncle said Jiasmin along with Tamim and daughter Mahinur were being brought to Dhaka, but Mahinur succumbed to her injuries on the way.
"Jiasmin's husband Khalilur Rahman runs a clothing business in Barguna. She and her children were going there to meet him," Abul said.
Confirming the matter, inspector of the DMCH police outpost, Bacchu Mia said five people who suffered burn injuries in Jhalakathi launch fire, have been admitted to the hospital.
At least 39 people were charred to death and 72 others injured in a major fire that ripped through a launch carrying some 800 passengers from Dhaka to Barguna in the early hours of Friday.
The blaze on board the three-storey Avijan-10 in the middle of the Sugandha River off the coast of Jhalokati district's Sadar upazila, 250kms south of Dhaka, around 3am. Within five to 10 minutes, the flames engulfed the vessel.