Bangladesh
Dhaka Fire Bailey Road building fire kills 44 people
Dhaka, March 1: At least 44 people were killed and more than 20 seriously injured in a massive fire in a commercial building on Bailey Road in the capital on Thursday night.
The fire service personnel rescued 70 people including 42 people from the roof and various floors of the seven-storey Green Cozy Cottage in an unconscious state.
Health Minister Samanta Lal Sen, Member of Parliament for Dhaka-8 Constituency AFM Bahauddin Nashim and other senior officials of law and order forces visited the scene.
Durbhas Lal Sen reported 33 deaths at Dhaka Medical College Hospital and 10 more deaths at Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery. Later, the Inspector General of Police confirmed the death of another person at the Central Police Hospital.
IGP Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun held a press conference in front of Dhaka Medical College at 2:40 PM and informed that 44 people were dead and 75 people were kept alive. Some of the rescued were given first aid before returning home safely.
Firefighters who brought the fire under control at around 12:30 pm said that most of the people died after jumping from the building or were burnt or suffocated. At that time smoke was coming out of the building.
The first deaths were reported around 1 a.m., when firefighters carried the bodies one by one to a refrigerated truck waiting outside the building.
A fire broke out in the restaurant named 'Kacchi Bhai' on the second floor at around 9:30 pm. Many people were eating in the restaurant when the fire spread to other floors.
13 units of fire service are working to control the fire. Members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), General Ansar and Ansar Guard Battalion (AGB) have been deployed at the scene.
Fire officials say the fire spread quickly because the restaurant's kitchen had gas cylinders on several floors. People are unable to exit the building due to smoke in the stairwell.
