Condition of 15 injured launch fire victims critical

Fire on passenger launch Abhijan -10 on early Friday Dec 24. Photo collected

Dhaka, Dec 25 – The condition of 15 launch fire victims, who are undergoing treatment at the Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH), is critical.

Coordinator of the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery Dr Samanta Lal Sen disclosed it while talking to reports at the hospital on Saturday.

Some 21 people were taken to the burn unit of DMCH on Friday and 16 of them were admitted to the hospital where four others were given first aid.

The victims, who are undergoing treatment at the hospital are—Tamin Hasan, 8, suffered 30 percent burn injuries, Jesmine Akter, 35, (12%), Bachchu Mia, 51 (4%), Ishrat Zahan Sadia, 22 (20%), Shahinur Khatun, 45 (25%), Marufa, 48 (15%), Selim Reza, 45 (18%), Lamia, 13 (10%), Mamtaz, 70 (8%), Mohammad Russel, 38 (18%), Bankim Majumdar, 60 (12%), Monika Rani, 40 (30%), Golam Rabbi, 20, (9%),  Bikash Majumdar, 16, Khadiza, 27 (15%) and Bashir, 35 (6%).

Of the victims, Habib Khan, 45, succumbed to his injuries on Friday night.

SM Ayub Hossain, resident surgeon of Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery,  said Habib breathed his last at around 11:30 pm.

At least 39 passengers were burned to death and 72 others injured after a massive fire broke out in the engine room of a launch in the middle of Sugandha River off the coast of Jhalakathi Sadar Upazila.

The blaze broke out at 3am on the Barguna-bound Avijan-10 launch carrying some 800 passengers from Dhaka and it engulfed the entire vessel within 10 minutes. - UNB