A massive fire in Bangladesh that raged through a six-storey building home to restaurants where many families with children were dining has killed at least 46 people and injured dozens, the health minister said on Friday.
Fire authorities said a gas leak or a stove could have caused Thursday’s blaze in the capital, which spread quickly after breaking out in a biryani restaurant, and was only reined in following two hours of effort by 13 units of firefighters.
Hospitals are treating 22 people with burn wounds, Health Minister Samanta Lal Sen told reporters.
“All 22 people … are in critical condition,” Sen, himself a well-known physician, said after a visit to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital. “We are trying our best to save their lives.”
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed shock and sorrow at the incident, ordering swift treatment for the injured.
Doctors said most of the dead were killed by suffocation with others dying as they jumped off the building, which also houses some clothing and mobile telephone shops.
The fire could have originated from a gas leak or stove, said Brigadier General Main Uddin, a top fire service official.
“It was a dangerous building with gas cylinders on every floor, even on the stairs,” he told Reuters, adding that it had a single staircase, lacking ventilation, an emergency exit and other safety features.
The government has set up a five-member panel to investigate the incident.
Fires are common in densely populated Dhaka, where many new buildings have sprung up, many lacking adequate safety measures.
Fires and explosions have resulted from faulty gas cylinders, air conditioners and poor electrical wiring.
In July 2021, many children were among the 54 people killed at a food processing factory outside Dhaka, while at least 70
people were killed in a February 2019 fire that engulfed a centuries-old precinct.
(Source: Reuters)
