3 Mongla Port oil tanker fire victims die

Three Mongla Port oil tanker fire victims died on their way to Dhaka Medical College Hospital on Saturday afternoon, hours after they sustained burns in the devastating fire. Two of the dead were identified as Moslem Uddin, 45, son of Haji Minnath of Burichong Upazila in Comilla district, and Badal Mia, 38, son of Kader Bhuiyan of Rupganj Upazila of Narayanganj district. Identity of the other could not be known immediately. They succumbed to their injuries on Saturday afternoon, said Mahbub Uddin, owner of the oil tanker, ‘MV Zakah’. The fire broke out in the engine room of the tanker, anchored on the Pashur Channel, within one kilometre of Mongla Ports’s jetty, around 3am, fire fighters said. After five hours of frantic efforts, the fire was tamed, Altaf Hossain, member, operation, of Mongla Port, said adding that the tanker escaped from deadly accident as there was no oil in it during the fire. The oil tanker came to Mongla Port from Daulatpur on Friday afternoon for filling oil on Saturday, said Jaynal Abedin of the tanker. Mongla Port Authority Chairman Commodore HR Bhuiyan said three rescue ships, including ‘MV Agniprahari’, rushed to the spot around 3:30am. The firefighters were able to douse the blaze around 6am, he said. The port authority has formed a four-member inquiry committee to look into the fire incident, according to UNB.