On Thursday evening, a fire broke out in a popular restaurant with traditional dishes located at the bottom of a seven-story commercial building in a prestigious area of the capital.
The entire building, which housed several other eateries, was soon engulfed in flames, which firefighters took two hours to bring under control.
Rezaul Karim, director of operations for the fire department, told AFP news agency that the fire was caused by gas cylinders stored in a disorderly manner in the stairwell of the building and in the restaurants.
“During the fire, people heard the explosions of several gas cylinders,” he said.
The head of the National Fire Service Mainas Udinas (Mainas Udinas) said that the building did not have sufficient safety equipment.
“It didn’t have at least two staircases or an emergency exit,” he told AFP. “Most people died of suffocation.”
Earlier, firefighters told reporters that they suspect the fire was caused by an accidental ignition of a gas cylinder.
Police inspector Bacchu Mia told AFP that two more people died of their injuries in hospital on Friday.
“The death toll now stands at 46. Two people succumbed to their injuries, one at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital and the other at the police hospital,” he said.
B. Mia added that currently 15 persons are in critical condition.
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2024-04-21 10:11:35
