Cold Spell: 4 more killed by open fire

Four more people, including three women, who had suffered burn injuries while warming themselves by the fire during the recent cold spell, died at Rangpur Medical College Hospital yesterday.

Nineteen people, 18 of them women, died from their burns at RMCH in the last 14 days.

The four deceased are Gita Rani, 27, of Dinajpur's Birganj, Mokbul Hossain, 62, of Dinajpur's Nawabganj, Rumki Begum, 27, of Lalmonirhat's Patgram, and Afroza Bewa, 75, of Nilphamari Sadar.

Around 55 patients, including the four, were admitted to burn and plastic surgery unit at RMCH. They were brunt when they were warming themselves by the fire in different districts of Rangpur division, said Nure Alam, assistant director of the unit.    

Four women are still on life support. Seven others have been referred to the burn and plastic surgery unit at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, said Nure Alam.

The patients are poor and those who have been referred to DMCH cannot go there due to their financial insolvency, said Maruful Islam, head of burn and plastic surgery unit at RMCH.