THE death toll from the fire in Chawkbazar area of Old Dhaka has now risen to 80. Scores were injured in the fire that originated around 10:40pm on Wednesday on the ground floor of the five-storey building named Hazi Wahed Mansion. The flames then quickly spread to three other buildings nearby, including a community centre.
Among the injured, 41 were admitted to Burn Unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital in critical condition. Members of Fire Service and Civil Defence brought the fire under control on Thursday morning. The incident is reminiscent of the Nimtoli fire that killed 123 in 2010. Expressing fear of possible fire, in our previous editorials we had urged the authorities concerned for taking steps about gas cylinder blasts and relocate the chemical godowns.
Meanwhile, five committees have so far been formed to unearth the reason behind the fire. What’s most upsetting is that, Industries Minister on Friday said the fire was orginated by a gas cylinder explosion; not for storage of chemicals. But all the probe teams, including Fire Service and Civil Defence, disagreed. Officials further said there were many other chemicals including lighter-fluid refill canisters inside the buildings. There were perfume bottles, which exploded like bombs during the fire. The investigators also said chemicals were stored in the ill-fated buildings without permit and violating building codes.
Dhaka already has a density of around 50,000 people per square kilometer. Old Dhaka’s density is probably double of that. It is inconceivable as to why the government still allows so-called chemical factories there. These should be relocated immediately without any further delay to ensure that the episodic recurrence of lives lost doesn’t occur with any frequency. In any other nation it would have been a criminal offence to host chemical factories in a densely packed urban environment which has only narrow alleyways as conduits for travel.
Earlier, the Nimtoli fire had sparked a public outcry, demanding the relocation of chemical warehouses and stores from the Old Dhaka, but little has been done in the last nine years. So first of all, the responsible persons who didn’t take any step to relocate the chemical godown despite specific directives from government high-ups should be punished for their failure to perform their duties as well as utter negligence.
Among the injured, 41 were admitted to Burn Unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital in critical condition. Members of Fire Service and Civil Defence brought the fire under control on Thursday morning. The incident is reminiscent of the Nimtoli fire that killed 123 in 2010. Expressing fear of possible fire, in our previous editorials we had urged the authorities concerned for taking steps about gas cylinder blasts and relocate the chemical godowns.
Meanwhile, five committees have so far been formed to unearth the reason behind the fire. What’s most upsetting is that, Industries Minister on Friday said the fire was orginated by a gas cylinder explosion; not for storage of chemicals. But all the probe teams, including Fire Service and Civil Defence, disagreed. Officials further said there were many other chemicals including lighter-fluid refill canisters inside the buildings. There were perfume bottles, which exploded like bombs during the fire. The investigators also said chemicals were stored in the ill-fated buildings without permit and violating building codes.
Dhaka already has a density of around 50,000 people per square kilometer. Old Dhaka’s density is probably double of that. It is inconceivable as to why the government still allows so-called chemical factories there. These should be relocated immediately without any further delay to ensure that the episodic recurrence of lives lost doesn’t occur with any frequency. In any other nation it would have been a criminal offence to host chemical factories in a densely packed urban environment which has only narrow alleyways as conduits for travel.
Earlier, the Nimtoli fire had sparked a public outcry, demanding the relocation of chemical warehouses and stores from the Old Dhaka, but little has been done in the last nine years. So first of all, the responsible persons who didn’t take any step to relocate the chemical godown despite specific directives from government high-ups should be punished for their failure to perform their duties as well as utter negligence.
