High-rise blaze kills 19 in capital
70 injured admitted to hospitals; treatment to be free: Health services
Firefighting gear at FR Tower were unusable: Fire service chief
Staff Reporter, Dhaka
At least 19 people, including a Sri Lankan national, were killed and 70 others injured in a fire that broke out at a high-rise building at Banani in the capital yesterday. The death toll, which primarily stood at six, started to rise once fire fighters entered the high-rise after bringing the flames under control. At least 13 bodies were found inside, as per the information updated around 11:45pm by the Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD) media cell set up on the spot. This comes in little over a month into the devastating fire that razed several structures on February 20 and killed at least 71 people in Old Dhakas Chawkbazar.
The fatalities may go up as there were more bodies inside the building, said FSCD Deputy Director Debashish Bardhan.
There was a mix up late last night when the authorities said six more bodies were found, pushing the death toll to 25. However, the number was revised down to 19 later as six bodies-- sent from Kurmitola General Hospital to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH)-- got counted, said Khurshid ALam, senior station officer of Banani FSCD unit.
Yesterdays fire broke out on the 9th floor of the 22-storey FR Tower on Kemal Ataturk Avenue at 12:52pm and was brought under control at 16:45pm. Within this period, the flames spread to 10th and 11th floors of the building. But the fire was completely doused at 7pm, six hours after it originated
Twenty one fire fighting units of the FSCD along with personnel from the armed forces
and police joined the rescue efforts, said Farid Uddin, a duty officer of the FSCD headquarters.
However, the origin of the fire was yet to be identified, said fire service officials.
Four committees have been formed to investigate the deadly fire incident.
A six-member probe body was formed by the home ministry keeping additional secretary of the ministrys security services division Dr Tarun Kanti Shikder as convener to investigate the fire and give details of the entire incident. The committee was asked to look into the incident on the ground and submit the report along with the suggestions to avoid such incidents within seven days. The FSCD formed a five-member committee to investigate the fire incident.
Ministry of Disaster Management formed an eight-member probe body to investigate the fire incident.
A seven-member probe body was formed by the housing and public works ministry to look into whether approval of FR Tower building design and its subsequent construction was faulty or not.
The committee was asked to submit its report in seven working days, said a press release of the ministry.
Nine bodies were kept at the DMCH, seven at Kurmitola hospital and three at United Hospital.
Of the deceased, two succumbed to injuries after being taken to the DMCH, three at United and one at Kurmitola.
Of the injured, four were being treated at the DMCH, 41 at Kurmitola General Hospital and 25 at United Hospital, according to fire service.
Seven of the deceased were identified as Sri Lankan national Nirash Chandra Raja, 35, DU MBA programme student Abdullah Al Faruque, 35, Monir, 50, Mamun, 36, Maksudur Rahman, 32, Ameena Isla, 40, and Parvej Sazzad, 47.
Prime Minister (PM)Sheikh Hasina has ordered the health ministry to ensure proper treatment for the injured, said Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia. President Abdul Hamid and PM Hasina have mourned the fire victims.
Health Minister Zahid Maleque said the bodies will be kept at DMCH.
Directorate General of Health Services Abul Kalam Azad said the hospitals were instructed to provide free treatment to the victims as per instruction by the health minister.
Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director Abdullah Ibn Zaid said three Bangladesh Air Force Helicopters were aiding the search and rescue operations, along with teams from the Bangladesh Army and Navy. Several groups of people have already been rescued from the burning building, he said.
Witnesses said several people sustained critical injuries as they jumped off the building to save themselves. Several people managed to get themselves to safety after climbing the roof of FR Tower and jumping off to the roof of an adjacent building.
Fire service chief Brig Gen Md Sazzad Hussain said no one of the victims burned to death.
Those who died at hospitals were injured after jumping off the building. Victims who were found dead inside the building had died from suffocation, he told the media later at night.
Brig Gen Sazzad said boards used in internal decoration, plastic and electronic items helped the fire spread rapidly and increase its intensity.
Sazzad declined to comment on what sparked the fire before the investigation was over. He said their search operations would continue until 10am Friday.
FSCD Deputy Director Debashish Bardhan also echoed the DG saying there were a huge number of flammable materials inside the building.
The interior decoration of the offices in the building are made of foam and synthetic fiber components which aggravated the situation and produced much smoke.
Panicked people tried to jump off the building to safety but many were injured.
Banani is a busy area packed with high-rise buildings housing offices, universities and restaurants. Residents of FR Towers adjoining buildings also left their flats fearing danger.
The transmission of private television channel Duronto TV and radio station Radio Today was halted because of the fire as the building that houses both the offices is located next to FR Tower.
The fire service director general and Dhaka North City Cooperation (DNCC) mayor visited the spot.
Asked if there were fire safety measures in place at the building, Faruq Hasan, son of the building owner, told The Independent that they primarily assume that the fire broke out from the 9th floor of the building when an air conditioner exploded. The building houses commercial entities, said Hasan.
He also claimed that there was regular fire safety management all over the building as per building safety code. FSCD chief Brig Gen Sazzad, however said the FR Tower had minimal firefighting equipment.
And, they were unusable, he said.
According to RAJUK and fire service officials, the FR Tower was permitted to be a 18-storey building and there was no fire-protected staircase in the high-rise.
According to local people, a number of garment buying houses and internet service providers have their offices in the building. Besides, the building also houses the offices of different business firms, sales centres, restaurants and a convention centre. Shahjalal Islami Bank runs a branch on the buildings third floor.
The electrical supply line to the building was disconnected to avoid further deterioration during the scene.
Apart from the Chawkbazar incident, the capital city witnessed another fire in June 2010 that killed more than 120 people and injured 50 others at a plastic factory in Nimtoli area of Old Dhaka.
