44 dead in devastating fire at commercial complex in Bangladesh

Dhaka: In a tragic incident emerged from Bangladesh, a massive fire in a commercial building has claimed at least 44 lives and seriously injured more than 20 people. The incident took place on Thursday evening on Bailey Road in Dhaka, where several restaurants in the national capital are located, Dhaka Tribune reported. Firefighters rushed to the scene and rescued 70 people, including 42 found unconscious, from the seven-storey Green Cozy Cottage. Health Minister Samanta Lal Sen, Dhaka-8 MP AFM Bahauddin Nasim and senior law enforcement officials rushed to the spot to assess the situation.

While addressing the media at 2am, Sen informed that 33 people lost their lives at Dhaka Medical College Hospital and another 10 at Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery. The capital’s Inspector General of Police later informed of another fatal accident at the Central Police Hospital, bringing the total to 44 victims.

Fire in Bangladesh: 75 people rescued

IGP Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun informed the media that as many as 75 people had been rescued. Some of them were given first aid before returning home safely, Dhaka Tribune reported.

The huge flames were under control around 12:30 p.m. Fire officials said most of the victims succumbed to injuries resulting from burns, asphyxiation and jumping from the building.

Fire in Bangladesh: cause of the huge fire

The fire broke out at around 9.45 pm in a restaurant called “Kacchi Bhai” on the first floor. The flames quickly spread to other levels where customers were dining.

As many as thirteen fire brigade units worked for hours to douse the flames, with support from Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), General Ansar and Ansar Guard Battalion (AGB).

Firefighters attributed the rapid spread of the fire to gas cylinders present in restaurant kitchens on several floors. The thick smoke in the stairway hampered people’s ability to quickly exit the building, adding to the severity of the situation, the Dhaka Tribune reported.