Short circuit sparked FR Tower fire

Says state minister for disaster management

An electric short-circuit on the eighth floor of FR Tower sparked the deadly fire that killed 26 people last month, State Minister for Disaster Management Enamur Rahman said yesterday. "The fire spread to the ninth and 10th floors. A number of people died because of smoke in the 11th, 12th and 13th floors," he said after meeting his ministry's probe committee and representatives of various ministries.

Enamur admitted that the Fire Service and Civil Defence lacks equipment. "We wanted to procure equipment worth Tk 1,000 crore but after Churihatta and FR Tower fires, we understood that this budget is insufficient," he said. "We've realised that we need heavy machinery and a bigger budget to ensure fire extinguishing system," the state minister added.

Seventy-one people were killed after a deadly blaze swept through several buildings in Old Dhaka in late February. Many of the capital's buildings are unplanned and lack proper firefighting equipment.

After the incident, four probe bodies were formed including that by the disaster management ministry to probe the fire

incident. A six-member probe body was formed by the home ministryand it was asked to look into the incident and submit a report—that includes suggestions for how to avoid such disasters—within seven days.

The Fire Service and Civil Defence formed a five-member committee to investigate the fire incident while Ministry of Disaster Management formed an eight-member probe body.

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

Short circuit sparked FR Tower fire

Says state minister for disaster management

An electric short-circuit on the eighth floor of FR Tower sparked the deadly fire that killed 26 people last month, State Minister for Disaster Management Enamur Rahman said yesterday. The fire spread to the ninth and 10th floors. A number of people died because of smoke in the 11th, 12th and 13th floors, he said after meeting his ministrys probe committee and representatives of various ministries. Enamur admitted that the Fire Service and Civil Defence lacks equipment. We wanted to procure equipment worth Tk 1,000 crore but after Churihatta and FR Tower fires, we understood that this budget is insufficient, he said. Weve realised that we need heavy machinery and a bigger budget to ensure fire extinguishing system, the state minister added. Seventy-one people were killed after a deadly blaze swept through several buildings in Old Dhaka in late February. Many of the capitals buildings are unplanned and lack proper firefighting equipment. After the incident, four probe bodies were formed including that by the disaster management ministry to probe the fire incident. A six-member probe body was formed by the home ministryand it was asked to look into the incident and submit a reportthat includes suggestions for how to avoid such disasterswithin seven days. The Fire Service and Civil Defence formed a five-member committee to investigate the fire incident while Ministry of Disaster Management formed an eight-member probe body. 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