Shawdesh Desk:

The confirmed death toll from December 24 deadly launch fire off the coast of Jhalakathi rose to 48 on Monday morning, as a man admitted with over 28 per cent burns succumbed to his injuries at the Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery.

The deceased was identified as Russel Sheikh, 38. He was undergoing treatment at the institute’s intensive care unit (ICU). He breathed his last at around 11.00am, said Chief Coordinator of the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery Dr Samanta Lal Sen.

“Twelve people are now undergoing treatment in the institute. Two of them are in Intensive Care Unit,” he said.

The blaze broke out around 3.00am on December 24 on the Barguna-bound launch carrying some 800 passengers from Dhaka, and it engulfed the entire vessel within 10 minutes.