Bailey Road fire: Death toll reaches 46; none of admitted patients out of danger
35 bodies were handed over to families; Tk 25,000 each would be given to the deceased’s families; more than 100 people trapped in the fire were rescued
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The death toll from Thursday night's devastating fire that tore through a commercial building in the capital’s Bailey Road reached 46 on Friday morning. And it may rise further, according to Health Minister Samanta Lal Sen, reports UNB.
Currently, 10 people are undergoing treatment at the Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery and two at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), he said.
However, the health minister expressed concern for the hospitalised victims, noting that all of them suffered from burns and respiratory damage, putting them in critical condition, reports bdnews24.com.
The health minister said the inhalation of carbon monoxide gas from the fire was the cause of the deaths, according to UNB.
A total of 35 bodies were handed over to family and relatives, Dhaka Medical College Police Outpost In-Charge Inspector Bachchu Mia confirmed on Friday morning.
State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Muhibur Rahman, said Tk 25,000 each would be given to the deceased’s family.
Five bodies are yet to be identified, he said.
More than 100 people trapped in the fire have been rescued, said Md Arifur Rahman, RAB-3 Deputy Director (Media) on Friday morning.
Meanwhile, the Fire Service and Civil Defence formed a five-member committee headed by Lt Col Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury, director (Operation and Maintenance), to investigate the cause of the fire, said DAD Shahjahan Sikder of FSCD headquarters media cell.
The other members of the committee are Fire Service Deputy Director of Dhaka Division, Md Saleh Uddin, DAD of the concerned zone, senior station officer, and warehouse inspector.
The fire broke out at the six-storey building, the Green Cozy Cottage Shopping Mall, that housed a number of restaurants, including the very popular Kacchi Bhai, at almost the peak time for dinner, when it was buzzing with patrons.
Fire Service Director General Brigadier General Md Main Uddin said the building had just one shop while the rest of the outlets were all restaurants. Gas cylinders were littered throughout the building, including on the staircase, and they were used for cooking. Any one of them or a gas stove could have exploded and caused the fire. The actual reason will be known after investigation, he maintained.
The building also had no fire exit, and Main Uddin said. The building was primed for an accident like this, he added.
Shahjadi Sultana, duty officer of the Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD) headquarters control room, said firefighters, in association with members of the police and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), brought the flame under control around 11:50 pm, two hours after the blaze erupted.
Earlier bodies of 33 deceased were kept at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital, and 10 at Sheikh Hasina Burn Institute and one at Rajarbagh Police Lines Hospital, Inspector Bacchu Miah, in-charge of the DMCH Police Outpost, told UNB on Friday morning.