Panic gripped the passengers of Barishal-bound launch ‘MV Prince Awlad-10’ as thick smoke filled the engine room of the launch, prompting the authorities to anchor it at Munshiganj terminal Saturday midnight.
Sazzad Hossain, an employee of the launch, said the authorities noticed smoke billowing from the engine room of the launch around 11:30 pm while installing adjuster in the silencer pipe.
The authorities anchored the launch at Munshiganj terminal for checking.
READ: Sadarghat launch fire doused
On information, a fire fighting unit rushed to the spot for examining the source of smoke.
Our Munshiganj correspondent reports: Muktarpur river police in-charge Lutfur Rahman said the launch started for Barishal around 1 am as a firefighting unit found it safe after examining.
A fire broke out on the Barguna-bound launch carrying some 800 passengers from Dhaka and it engulfed the entire vessel within 10 minutes, claiming the lives of 49 people on December 24, 2021.