At least twelve passengers of a Dhaka-bound launch sustained injuries when trying to get down from it after a fire broke out inside its engine room at the launch ghat in Chandpur on Thursday morning, UNB reports.
The fire was originated from electric short circuit when MV Rof Rof-3 was about to deport the launch ghat with 250 passengers aboard around 9:30 am, said Mamunur Rashid, the master of the launch.
Immediately the fire spread apace around making the area smoky, he added.
Being panicked over the incident, at least 12 people sustained injured when all the passengers and launch staffs were trying to get down from it altogether, said passengers.
Being informed, several firefighting units from the local Fire Service and Civil Defence stations rushed there and doused the fire around 10:45 am, said firefighters Akkas Ali and Nasiruddin.
Valuables including three engines, heavy machines, two generators and parts of the ground floor of the launch were gutted in the fire, said launch manager Faridul Islam.
“The fire caused losses of around Tk 8 to 10 crore,” he added.
Meanwhile, the suffered passengers left for Dhaka by another launch, Rezaul Karim Bhuiyan, officer-in-charge of River Police Station.
