Jhalakathi launch fire: 33 bodies reach Barguna

Dead body

Barguna, Dec 25 – The bodies of 33 people, who were killed in a massive fire that swept through a crowded launch near Jhalakathi in the early hours of Friday, reached Barguna at night.

At around 11:15pm, the corpses were transported to Barguna Sadar Hospital by a truck of Jhalakathi municipality, Barguna Deputy Commissioner Habibur Rahman told UNB.

Many people thronged the hospital with heavy hearts because their family members were either missing or deceased.

Volunteers unloaded the bodies from the vehicle and lined them up. The lamentations of the deceased's relatives filled the air at that time.

The unidentified bodies will be buried at Potkakhali graveyard after DNA samples are collected from them, Habibur said.

The accident left at least 39 people charred to death and 72 injured.

The blaze broke out around 3am on Avijan-10, which was carrying around 800 passengers, in the midstream of the River Sugandha off the coast of Jhalakathi district's Sadar upazila.

Within five to 10 minutes, the flames engulfed the vessel. - UNB