He was jolted awake from his slumber by midnight screams from passengers. Smoke engulfed the launch he was travelling by with his wife, reports bdnews24.com.
Hossain Mohammad Al-Mujahid, upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) of Patharghata, realised that a severe fire broke out in the launch. 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.
At least 37 people have died after a fire swept through the MV Abhijan-10, the ill-fated vessel bound for the southern district of Barguna. As many as 72 people have been hospitalised with injuries.
Hossain said he and his wife were travelling in a VIP cabin in the launch.
"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
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