Staff Reporter :
A devastating fire engulfed a high-rise office building at the Kamal Ataturk Avenue in Dhaka on Thursday, leaving at least 19 people, including a Sri Lankan citizen, dead and 90 others injured.
This was the third major fire incident in the city after the 2010 Nimtoli inferno and last month’s fire incident at Chawkbazar, caused mainly for collective failure of the regulatory authorities and unplanned urbanization.
The Fire Service and Civil Defense dispatched at least 20 fire units while the Bangladesh Army, Bangladesh Air Force and Bangladesh Navy joined the rescue operation in an effort to battle the conflagration burning the 22-storey FR Tower in the Kamal Ataturk Avenue in Banani, a commercial hub in capital Dhaka.
Electricity connections in the entire building and adjoining office buildings were snapped soon after the fire spotted.
The fire was originated from ninth floor at about 12.50pm, according to the Fire Service and Civil Defense Department.
After a little while, the fire sent flames and smokes to other floors trapping many inside the building and causing extensive damage.
Trapped inside the building, people waved their hands and shouted through the window for help.
Many took shelter on the rooftop after the flame spread all over and even some people jumped from the burning building to escape casualty.
It could not be ascertained immediately how many people were trapped inside the building.
Helicopters and two skylifts were used to bring out those trapped in the building.
The blaze lasted for more than five hours before it was extinguished. It took hours to douse the blaze due to inadequate water supply and synthetic fibers used for the floors’ decoration, an unnamed firefighter told The New Nation.
He said the firefighters so far rescued at least 100 people trapped inside the building.
Twenty people were rescued from adjoining ‘Ahmed Tower’ by breaking its grills and many others were also rescued by breaking the glasses of the burning building.
Members of armed forces and firefighters entered the fire-ravaged building after 5pm.
A five-member body was formed to find out the cause behind the fire incident.
A devastating fire engulfed a high-rise office building at the Kamal Ataturk Avenue in Dhaka on Thursday, leaving at least 19 people, including a Sri Lankan citizen, dead and 90 others injured.
This was the third major fire incident in the city after the 2010 Nimtoli inferno and last month’s fire incident at Chawkbazar, caused mainly for collective failure of the regulatory authorities and unplanned urbanization.
The Fire Service and Civil Defense dispatched at least 20 fire units while the Bangladesh Army, Bangladesh Air Force and Bangladesh Navy joined the rescue operation in an effort to battle the conflagration burning the 22-storey FR Tower in the Kamal Ataturk Avenue in Banani, a commercial hub in capital Dhaka.
Electricity connections in the entire building and adjoining office buildings were snapped soon after the fire spotted.
The fire was originated from ninth floor at about 12.50pm, according to the Fire Service and Civil Defense Department.
After a little while, the fire sent flames and smokes to other floors trapping many inside the building and causing extensive damage.
Trapped inside the building, people waved their hands and shouted through the window for help.
Many took shelter on the rooftop after the flame spread all over and even some people jumped from the burning building to escape casualty.
It could not be ascertained immediately how many people were trapped inside the building.
Helicopters and two skylifts were used to bring out those trapped in the building.
The blaze lasted for more than five hours before it was extinguished. It took hours to douse the blaze due to inadequate water supply and synthetic fibers used for the floors’ decoration, an unnamed firefighter told The New Nation.
He said the firefighters so far rescued at least 100 people trapped inside the building.
Twenty people were rescued from adjoining ‘Ahmed Tower’ by breaking its grills and many others were also rescued by breaking the glasses of the burning building.
Members of armed forces and firefighters entered the fire-ravaged building after 5pm.
A five-member body was formed to find out the cause behind the fire incident.
Fire Service Department confirmed the death toll saying it might be rise further as rescue efforts are on to search the wreckage of the burnt floors.
But it is not known yet what caused the blaze.
Firefighters, however, said that FR Tower lacked fire extinguishers, sprinklers and fire alarm on its floors.
Injured people were transported to hospitals across the capital for a range of injuries related to the fire, and some of them are in critical condition.
Sazzadur Rahman, Media and Public Relations Officer of the United Hospital, said three people were declared dead when they were brought to the hospital from the spot.
Among the deceased were Monir,50, Mamun,36 and Maksudur,32.
Banani Clinic’s Customer Care Executive Soumen Halder confirmed that one of Banani fire victims, Parvez Ahmed, 55, died at the clinic.
DelwarHossain, an Administrative Officer of Kurmitola General Hospital, said that Nirash Chandra, a Sri Lankan national, was declared dead after he was taken to the hospital.
Besides, he said, 35 injured were admitted to the hospital.
Bachchu Miah, in-charge of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) police outpost, said a man named Abdullah Al Faruq died at the hospital after he was brought here from the spot.
At least 12 people were reportedly missing as the deadly fire sent many frantic residents race from the building.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police opened a temporary cell on the spot to register names of deceased and missing persons.
But it is not known yet what caused the blaze.
Firefighters, however, said that FR Tower lacked fire extinguishers, sprinklers and fire alarm on its floors.
Injured people were transported to hospitals across the capital for a range of injuries related to the fire, and some of them are in critical condition.
Sazzadur Rahman, Media and Public Relations Officer of the United Hospital, said three people were declared dead when they were brought to the hospital from the spot.
Among the deceased were Monir,50, Mamun,36 and Maksudur,32.
Banani Clinic’s Customer Care Executive Soumen Halder confirmed that one of Banani fire victims, Parvez Ahmed, 55, died at the clinic.
DelwarHossain, an Administrative Officer of Kurmitola General Hospital, said that Nirash Chandra, a Sri Lankan national, was declared dead after he was taken to the hospital.
Besides, he said, 35 injured were admitted to the hospital.
Bachchu Miah, in-charge of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) police outpost, said a man named Abdullah Al Faruq died at the hospital after he was brought here from the spot.
At least 12 people were reportedly missing as the deadly fire sent many frantic residents race from the building.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police opened a temporary cell on the spot to register names of deceased and missing persons.
