Death toll from launch tragedy hits 46

The death toll from Friday’s deadly launch fire off the coast of Jhalakathi rose to 46 with the recovery of two more bodies from the Sugandha River on Wednesday.

The bodies of the unidentified people were fished out by firefighters from Charkathi of the estuary of Sugandha-Bishkhali River in the district around 9 am, said Md Shafique, deputy assistant director of the district fire service.

The deceased were a man aged about 42 and a woman aged around 32, according to the Jhalakathi Fire Service and Civil Defence.

Both the bodies were partially burned, said Shafique.

Coast Guard members and firefighters continued their search operation in the river for the sixth day in a row.

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 on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, an FIR was lodged at Jhalakathi police station on 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 -- still remained missing.

On Monday, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested owner Hamjalal in connection with the deadly fire on board the launch, MV Avijan-10.

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.