Patharghata UNO, wife jump from burning launch to escape death

Barguna’s Patharghata Upazila Nirbahi Officer Hossain Mohammad Al-Mujahid and his wife were travelling in a cabin of the MV Abhijan-10 l bound for the southern district.

At least 37 people have died after a fire swept through the MV Abhijan-10, the ill-fated vessel bound for Barguna. As many as 72 people have been hospitalised with injuries.

Hossain Mohammad Al-Mujahid and his wife started their journey to Barguna from Dhaka on Thursday evening by the launch. At one point, they realised that a severe fire broke out in the launch, reports bdnews24.com.

Hossain, finding no other safe passage out of the burning vessel, jumped into the Sugandha river in southern Bangladesh. His wife Ummul Wara followed suit. The man survived, so did his wife but with a broken leg.

As she made a desperate effort to escape in panic, Ummul Wara slammed into the steel railing of the vessel.

“After smoke covered the entire launch, we rushed out of the cabin and moved to the front of the launch. More than 100 people gathered there. The launch was in the middle of the river. Many passengers were seen jumping into the river,” he said.

“We also jumped off the burning launch. I fell straight into the water, while Ummul Wara rammed into the railing first, and then fell into the water. She broke her right leg,” he said.

Ummul Wara was later treated in a local hospital before the couple headed home to Patharghata.

The elderly people and children accounted for most of the victims. Many women jumped into the river but it was not confirmed if all of them could make it to the shore, Hossain said. Passengers who were sleeping and stayed inside the cabins suffered more, he said, adding the locals took them to the Jhalakathi Sadar Hospital.