The death toll from Friday’s deadly launch fire off the coast of Jhalakathi rose to 44, with the recovery of two more bodies from the Sugandha River on Tuesday.
The bodies of the unidentified people were fished out by firefighters from the waters adjacent to the Jhalakathi launch terminal at Shachilapur in the district, said Shafiq, deputy assistant director of the district fire service.
The deceased were a boy aged around 12 and a man aged around 32, according to the Jhalakathi Fire Service and Civil Defence.
The man’s face was burnt beyond recognition and he was wearing an off-white sweater and jeans, said Shafiq. “The body has been sent for an autopsy.”
Meanwhile, Coast Guard members and firefighters continued their search operation in the Sugandha river for the fifth day in a row.
The police control room set up at the launch terminal provided information about 41 missing passengers, said Md Salauddin, a sub-inspector at Jhalakathi Sadar police station on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, an FIR was lodged at Jhalakathi police station on Monday night, following a complaint from the victims’ side, accusing eight people, including launch co-owner Hamjalal Sheikh, for the tragedy.
Monir Hossain, a resident of Dhaka’s Bakhsnagar area, had filed the complaint as four of his family members — Taslima Akter, 30, Sumaia Aktar Mim, 12, Suborna Aktar Tania, 8, and Zunayed Islam Bayezid — still remained missing.
Earlier on Monday, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested owner Hamjalal in connection with the deadly fire on board the launch, MV Avijan-10.
Source: United News of Bangladesh