Abhijan caught fire 10-15 minutes before anchoring terminal

The death toll in Jhalokhathi launch fire rose to 40. The MV Abhijan caught fire just 10-15 minutes before it docked on the terminal, passengers said.

Fire services officials said, as many as 40 bodies have been recovered so far following the horrific inferno at the Barguna-bound launch MV Abhijan.

The death toll may continue rising.

“The launch was set afire 10-15 minutes before it was about to anchor the terminal. However, the master anchored the launch at a char nearby and later he took it to the mid-river,” Rimon Hossain, one of the survivors, told the media.

Another passenger Abdullah said, “The launch was anchored to a nearby char. But, the doors of the launch could not be opened by anyways. Later, the launch was taken to the mid-river. Many onboard passengers jumped into the river.”