Gazi Gias Uddin Bashir Jhalakathi : A horrific launch accident of the past few days occurred in the Sugandha River of Jhalakathi in the early hours of December 24, 2021. A three-story passenger launch ‘Abhiyaan-10’, bound for Barguna from Dhaka, suddenly caught fire at around 3 am. Within a short time, the fire spread to the entire launch.
Fifty passengers, including women and children, were burned to death. More than a hundred passengers and launch staff were injured despite jumping into the river to save their lives.
Most of the deceased were residents of Barguna. Since the last day of the week was Thursday, many had left the capital Dhaka for the southern district on December 23 to spend time with their families. But many people did not reach their destination.
Immediately after the incident, local people on the banks of the Sugandha River, members of various voluntary organizations including the Jhalakathi Fire Service, Red Crescent, and others jumped into the rescue operation. The bodies were recovered from the river and brought to the shore.
The wails of the relatives of the deceased spread everywhere from the Jhalakathi launch ghat, Diakuler char, college ferry ghat, hospitals and morgues.
The accident brought to the fore the issue of inadequate boat safety and firefighting systems. Even four years after the incident, the memory of that terrible night of Operation 10 still lingers in the minds of the families of the victims, bringing tears to their eyes.
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