21 firefighting units of the Dhaka Fire Service and Civil Defence doused the fire at about 4:45pm after a great after a great deal of efforts at Banani’s Fazlur Rahman (FR) Tower. The inferno broke out at about 12:52pm.on Thursday.
Bangladesh Army, Bangladesh Air force and BangladeshNavy took part in the rescue activities and to keep the roads free for the vehicles of the Fire Service and Civil Defence.
Military helicopters rescued many injured persons by airlifting them from the confined floors.
The firefighters used special drone inside the FR Tower to identify whether r any injured or dead body, were inside the building.
Firefighters in their primary investigation found there was no rescue stair.
Fire Service official Mostafiz ur Rahman said, rescue workers were not able to conduct their operation swiftly mainly due to the overwhelming smoke emission from the FR tower, crowd in tghe area, and the scarcity of water.
Some people on the social media identified the crowds as a major problem and expressed frustrations .
Four crane ladders were used in the process but the overwhelming smoke remained the biggest problem in getting close to the building itself.
A Fire Service official said, “We currently have sufficient water supply, but the smoke refrained us from reaching the trapped victims.
“At the same time, the crowds gathered in front of the building and hampered the process.”
“However, students of private universities were seen working to douse the flames and assisting in the rescue process.”
The firefighters engaged in operation said, “The nearby buildings have been evacuated for safety. We saw a rise in smoke emission around 3pm and we were in continuous efforts to douse the fire as soon as possible”.
Many people took shelter on the roof of the building. Many people were rescued and many more were to be rescued.
Meanwhile, the family members and relatives of those who are trapped are getting anxious for the safety of their loved ones.
