Death toll rise to 49

The charred launch was anchored in the river bank. The picture was taken from Diakul area in Jhalakathi on 24 December 2021
Saiyan

The death toll from last month’s deadly launch fire in Jhalakathi district rose to 49 on Monday as another man succumbed to his injuries, reports UNB.

Russel, 38, breathed his last at the Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery in Dhaka at noon, said coordinator of the Institute Samanta Lal Sen.

The fire broke out on the Barguna-bound launch carrying some 800 passengers from Dhaka and it engulfed the entire vessel within 10 minutes on 24 December.

On 26 December, the chief inspector of the Department of Shipping Shafiqur Rahman filed a case against eight people, including four owners of the launch, under the Marine Act with the Marine Court.