At least 70 killed in Old Dhaka chemical warehouse fire

At least 70 people were killed and around 50 others injured in a devastating fire that broke out at a chemical warehouse and raged through four other buildings in the city’s Chawkbazar area on Wednesday night.

Major AKM Shakil Newaz, Director (Operation and Maintenance) of Fire Service and Civil Defence, at a press briefing on the spot told reporters that a total of 70 bodies were recovered from the buildings.

He feared that the death toll may go up.

Sources at the Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD) headquarters said 37 firefighting units brought the fire under control around 3:00 am on Thursday.

Mahfuz Rivan, a control room duty officer, said all the bodies were sent to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH).

The deceased included five women and three children, said Bachchu Mia, in-charge of DMCH police camp.

He said 16 injured people were admitted to the hospital while 21 others received primary treatment.

Duty officer at the Fire Service Central Control Room Ziaur Rahman on Wednesday night said the fire originated at the chemical warehouse on the ground floor of a five-storey building at Churihaat around 10:38pm.

Later, it spread to four other buildings fast.

Contacted, Deputy Director (Operations and Maintenance) of FSCD headquarters Dilip Kumar told UNB around 7:23 am that the fire was brought under control around 3:00 am and it needs further time to douse the flame as it engulfed four more buildings.

Meanwhile, President Abdul Hamid expressed profound shock at the loss of lives in the fire incident.

A similar type of fire incident on the night of June 3, 2010, destroyed an entire lane at Nimtoli in the old part of the city, leaving 124 people dead.

Source: unb