A devastating inferno tore through a six-story building overnight in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, claiming the lives of at least 43 individuals and leaving dozens injured, according to the country’s health minister.
The fire erupted late Thursday in a popular biryani restaurant on Bailey Road before swiftly spreading to other floors, as per fire service officials.
Health Minister Samanta Lal Sen, who visited the Dhaka Medical College Hospital, reported that 43 people had died, with 22 others hospitalized for severe burn injuries, all in critical condition.
The cause of the blaze remained unclear, though fire service officials managed to bring it under control after a two-hour battle involving 13 firefighting units.
Survivor Mohammad Altaf described narrowly escaping the flames through a shattered window, lamenting the loss of two coworkers in the tragedy.
Relatives of the victims gathered at the hospital to receive the bodies of their loved ones, while others mourned outside the emergency department.
The building housed various establishments, including restaurants, clothing, and mobile phone shops, where many families were dining at the time. Doctors noted that most victims succumbed to suffocation, while some tragically perished in attempts to escape by jumping from the building.
Firefighters utilized cranes to rescue individuals trapped in the charred structure, with concerns raised about the hazardous conditions within the building due to gas cylinders on multiple floors.
A five-member committee has been appointed to investigate the incident, underscoring the urgency of addressing safety lapses in non-garment industries, which have seen a concerning rise in deadly fires.
While Bangladesh’s garment sector has faced increased scrutiny and safety measures following past tragedies, other sectors, catering primarily to the domestic market, continue to witness avoidable disasters.
Dhaka, a densely populated city experiencing rapid urbanization, is no stranger to fires, often stemming from faulty equipment and inadequate safety measures in new constructions.
Past incidents, including a fire at a food processing factory in 2021 and a blaze in a historic area in 2019, serve as grim reminders of the ongoing challenges in ensuring fire safety in Bangladesh’s burgeoning urban landscape.
