Parents rushing in, searching for their children, trying to identify them only by their clothing, and wailing in front of every ward — this was the scene at Sheikh Hasina National Burn Institute on Monday.
Countless parents broke down in tears in the hospital corridors. Some screamed; others stood stunned and bewildered.
Every few minutes, ambulances arrived at the Burn Institute, and the surrounding atmosphere grew heavy with the anguished cries of loved ones.
From the ground floor to the fifth floor of the institute, family members were searching for their children, brothers, or sisters in front of each ward. Some found them; others still haven't.
At least 20 people, including the pilot, died and over 170 were injured in the plane crash in Diyabari, Uttara, in the capital.
As most of the patients were admitted to the National Burn Institute, the entire area became crowded with families of the victims, politicians, government officials, student organization leaders and activists, and members of blood donation groups. Ambulances carrying patients and individuals coming to donate blood also kept arriving.
Additionally, four patients were admitted to the Burn Unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Among them, one has died, one is in the ICU, and two are in the observation ward.
Most of the patients at the Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery were aged between 10 and 13. According to a list published by the Burn Institute authorities, six patients were admitted to the ICU.
To control the crowd, a large number of law enforcement personnel were deployed in the area. Members of the police, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), Ansar, and Fire Service were seen managing the crowd, especially in front of the Burn Institute’s emergency department.
Families of the patients mourn
The mother of Borhan Uddin Bappy, a 10-year-old third grader from Milestone School, cried as she said, "If only I had known this would happen, I would never have left him."
“The incident happened just after I returned home from giving him lunch. My son looked like a prince,” she added.
The mother of 10-year-old Ariyan, a fourth-grade student at Milestone School and College in Uttara, also wailed in grief.
Ariyan is currently in critical condition, receiving treatment in the ICU on the sixth floor of the hospital, with sixty percent of his body burned.
The majority of burn victims brought to the Burn Institute are students, most of them from grades four through eight. Many began experiencing breathing difficulties immediately after arriving at the hospital.
Doctors on duty in the emergency department began treatment as soon as patients arrived. They are being transferred to the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU), High Dependency Unit (HDU), and various other wards.
Ukyachaine Marma, a seventh-grade student from Milestone School, was admitted to the ICU on the seventh floor.
The atmosphere outside the ICU was heavy with the cries of his mother and relatives. Doctors informed them that 95 percent of his body had been burned.
The mother of Toufiq Hossain, a fifth grader at Milestone School, said Toufiq went to school after having lunch.
When she heard about the accident, she rushed to the school gate. There, she saw Toufiq coming out with his body burned. He embraced his mother tightly.
These are just some of the cases where families were able to locate their children. Many others are still searching, unaware of where their children are.
The mother of Marium Umme Afiya (9), another third-grade student, cried non-stop as she was unable to locate her daughter, despite searching at various medical institutions.
While most patients were admitted to the Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery, many others were taken to Kuwait Friendship Hospital, CMH-Dhaka, Kurmitola General Hospital, Lubna General Hospital and Cardiac Centre-Uttara, Uttara Modern Hospital, and Uttara Crescent Hospital.
Politicians and government officials visit
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman visited the National Burn Institute in the afternoon.
Earlier, several advisers from the interim government visited the hospital, including Law Adviser Asif Nazrul; Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan; Environment, Forest and Climate Change Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan; Culture Adviser Mostofa Sarwar Farooki; Industry Ministry Adviser Adilur Rahman Khan; Health and Family Welfare Ministry Special Assistant (with Deputy Minister status) Prof Md Sayedur Rahman; and Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam.
Adviser Asif Nazrul described the incident as the most tragic in the country’s history. He also announced that Tuesday would be observed as a national day of mourning.
Prof Md Sayedur Rahman stated that no further blood donations were needed for the day. He requested donors to come on Tuesday at 8 am instead.
Leaders and activists from Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal and Bangladesh Democratic Student Council were seen volunteering — guiding blood donors, helping keep the hospital area crowd-free, and assisting families in locating patients.
Volunteers from Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami were also seen engaged in similar efforts.