A total of 23 unidentified victims, who died in the Jhalokati launch fire in the early hours of Friday, were buried in a mass grave on the banks of Khakdon River at Potkakhali village in Barguna on Saturday noon.
Condition of 15 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 institute Dr Samanta Lal Sen said this while talking to reporters on Saturday.
Meanwhile, police have recorded a case over the ‘unnatural deaths’ with the Jhalakathi police station. Md Jahangir Hossain, a village police member and a resident of Diakul village under Ponabalia union of Jhalokathi sadar upazila, filed the case on Saturday.
Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Jhalokathi police station Md Khalilur Rahman confirmed the matter.
Earlier, a total of 33 bodies, including the 23 bodies, arrived at Barguna Sadar Hospital from Jhalokati on Friday night.
Before the arrival of the 33 more bodies, four more bodies were handed over to their families. The four deceased were identified as 62-year old Abdul Razzak Master from Patharghata Upazila, 35-year old Md Riaz Howladar from Betagi Upazila, and 14-year old Shaplil Chandra and 45-year-old Jahanara Begum, both from Bamana Upazila.
After the arrival of the 33 more bodies, relatives identified three bodies and took away the bodies from the hospital.
Later, the Namaz-e-Janaza of remaining 30 bodies was held on the premises of the Barguna Circuit House around 11:00 am on Saturday. After the Namaz-e-Janaza, the relatives identified seven more bodies and the bodies were handed over to their families.
The local administration buried the remaining 23 bodies on the banks of the Khakdon River. However, DNA samples of the victims were preserved.
Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Barguna Habibur Rahman, Mayor of Barguna Municipality Kamrul Ahsan Maharaj and local public representatives were present at the time.
Barguna DC Habibur Rahman said, “We received 37 bodies on Friday night from Jhalakathi General Hospital. Later, the bodies of 14 people were identified and handed over to the families of the victims.”
The authorities concerned have collected the DNA samples of the deceased. However, it is still not clear how many people are still missing, said the DC.
Barguna District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer Mohammad Lutfar Rahman said that postmortem was conducted on the 37 bodies in Barguna hospital morgue on Friday night.
Meanwhile, some 21 victims of the launch fire victims 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. Among them, the condition of 15 victims is critical.
The victims, who are undergoing treatment at the hospital are—Tamin Hasan, 8, suffered 30 percent burn injuries, Jesmin Akhter, 35, (12%), Bachchu Mia, 51 (4%), Ishrat Zahan Sadia, 22 (20%), Shahinur Khatun, 45 (25%), Marufa Akhter, 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%).
However, one of the victims named Habib Khan, 45, succumbed to his injuries in the hospital 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 41 passengers were burned to death and 72 others were injured after a massive fire broke out in the engine room of the launch in the middle of Sugandha River off the coast of Jhalakathi Sadar Upazila early on Friday.
The blaze broke out at 3:00 am on the Barguna-bound Obhijan 10 launch carrying around 1,000 passengers from Dhaka and it engulfed the entire vessel within 10 minutes.
After the incident, the government announced Tk 1.5 lakh as compensation to the families of each victim who lost their lives in the deadly fire.
A control room was opened to collect information of the missing people and the family members of the missing people were asked to provide necessary assistance to the local administration.
Meanwhile, relatives and family members of the missing people have thronged hospital with the images of their near and dear ones to identify the bodies.
On the other hand, the divers from local fire service and coast guard started a rescue operation around 9:00 am on Saturday in the Sugandha River.
Members of the probe committee formed into the incident visited the spot at Diakul village in Jhalokathi. Head of the probe body and joint secretary of the Shipping Ministry Tofayel Hossain said that they talked to the people those who were involved in the recovery work.
Former Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan, MP, also visited Jhalokathi launch terminal on Saturday morning.
