The confirmed death toll from Friday's deadly launch fire off the coast of Jhalakathi rose to 47 on Wednesday evening, as a man admitted with over 40 per cent burns succumbed to his injuries at the Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery, reports UNB.
According to the list by Red Crescent Bangladesh's Jhalakathi district office, at least 58 were still missing as of Wednesday.
The deceased was identified as Shahinur, 45. He was undergoing treatment at the institute's intensive care unit (ICU). He breathed his last at around 7.10pm, said resident surgeon SM Ayub Hossain.
Earlier in the day, the toll reached 46 with the recovery of two more bodies from the river Sugandha.
Md Shafique, deputy assistant director of the district fire service, said his identity is yet to be revealed. Members of fire service fished out the body from Sugandha river around 9.00am.
Both the bodies were partially burned, he added.
Coast Guard members and fire-fighters continued their search operation in the river for the sixth day in a row.
On Tuesday, 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.
Meanwhile, an FIR was lodged at Jhalakathi police station 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 – remained missing.
Earlier on Monday, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested launch owner Hamjalal.
His arrest followed the Dhaka Marine Court's warrants for the arrest of four owners and four staffers of the launch in a case filed by the Department of Shipping.
The accused are - four owners of Messers Al Araf and Company – Md Hamjalal Sheikh, Md Shamim Ahmed, Md Rasel Ahmed, and Ferdous Hasan Rabby – and master in-charge of Avijan-10 Md Riaz Sikder, driver in-charge Masum Billah, second master Khalilur Rahman, and second driver Abul Kalam.
The blaze broke out around 3.00am Friday on the Barguna-bound launch carrying some 800 passengers from Dhaka, and it engulfed the entire vessel within 10 minutes.