bdnews24.com :
Large amount of canisters stored inside several buildings in Old Dhaka’s Churihatta “became like bombs” amid the massive spreading fire.
The comment was made by investigators of a panel formed after at least 67 people were killed in the blaze that engulfed the crowded neighbourhood on Wednesday night.
Earlier, Industries Minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun said storage of chemicals had nothing to do with the fire started by a gas cylinder explosion. But the probe team disagreed.
“Of course there were lighter-fluid refill canisters inside the buildings. There were many other chemicals besides. All these inflammable materials catalysed the spreading of the fire,” said Lt Col SM Zulfikar Rahman, a director of the Fire Service and Civil Defence on Friday morning.
“Perfume bottles were refilled here as well. These exploded and became like bombs during the fire.”
He is part of a three-member probe team formed by the fire service authorities and headed by Fire Service Deputy Director Dilip Kumar Ghosh. They have been given a seven-day deadline for their report.
So far five committees have been formed to investigate the fire.
The fire service investigators also told reporters that chemicals were stored in the ill-fated buildings without permit. Building codes were violated and there were no fire-extinguishing equipment in the neighbourhood.
Wednesday’s fire was triggered when a gas cylinder of a parked pickup truck exploded, which razed surrounding vehicles and then at least five buildings in the narrow Chawkbazar alley.
‘Wahed Mansion’, the four-storey building that suffered most damage, had a dozen stores for perfumes and plastic goods. The upper floors were for tenants. The neighbouring buildings also had similar setups.
Among the 67 killed, 24 were found at the bottom of the only staircase of Wahed Mansion. Rescuers found the charred bodies of the dead victims mangled together, including women and children.
Storing large amount of inflammable chemicals in the densely-populated part of the capital became a contentious issue after a similar blaze in Nimtali left more than a 1000 people dead in 2010.
Large amount of canisters stored inside several buildings in Old Dhaka’s Churihatta “became like bombs” amid the massive spreading fire.
The comment was made by investigators of a panel formed after at least 67 people were killed in the blaze that engulfed the crowded neighbourhood on Wednesday night.
Earlier, Industries Minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun said storage of chemicals had nothing to do with the fire started by a gas cylinder explosion. But the probe team disagreed.
“Of course there were lighter-fluid refill canisters inside the buildings. There were many other chemicals besides. All these inflammable materials catalysed the spreading of the fire,” said Lt Col SM Zulfikar Rahman, a director of the Fire Service and Civil Defence on Friday morning.
“Perfume bottles were refilled here as well. These exploded and became like bombs during the fire.”
He is part of a three-member probe team formed by the fire service authorities and headed by Fire Service Deputy Director Dilip Kumar Ghosh. They have been given a seven-day deadline for their report.
So far five committees have been formed to investigate the fire.
The fire service investigators also told reporters that chemicals were stored in the ill-fated buildings without permit. Building codes were violated and there were no fire-extinguishing equipment in the neighbourhood.
Wednesday’s fire was triggered when a gas cylinder of a parked pickup truck exploded, which razed surrounding vehicles and then at least five buildings in the narrow Chawkbazar alley.
‘Wahed Mansion’, the four-storey building that suffered most damage, had a dozen stores for perfumes and plastic goods. The upper floors were for tenants. The neighbouring buildings also had similar setups.
Among the 67 killed, 24 were found at the bottom of the only staircase of Wahed Mansion. Rescuers found the charred bodies of the dead victims mangled together, including women and children.
Storing large amount of inflammable chemicals in the densely-populated part of the capital became a contentious issue after a similar blaze in Nimtali left more than a 1000 people dead in 2010.
