AT Least 19 people including a Sri Lankan national died and about 50 others received severe injuries in a devastating fire that engulfed FR Tower at Banani in the city on Thursday. The injured have been admitted to different hospitals, including Dhaka Medical College Hospital and Kurmitola General Hospital. An all-out rescue operation was going on till yesterday late night to save the trapped people in the thick smoke inside the building. Three Air Force helicopters joined the rescue operations while Army and Navy teams also extended their hands to Fire Service and Civil Defense units in their battle against the flames.
Deaths in fire incidents have become very common nowadays. Recently, the Chwakbazar fire caused death of 71 people along with injuring many others. At least 117 people died and over 200 were injured in a fire at Tazin Fashion in 2012. Besides, 117 people died and another 150 received burn injuries in a fire at Nimtoli of Old Dhaka in 2010. Apart from these, dozens of people die in a regular basis in domestic or other fire incidents round the year.
In the cases of Nimtoli and Chwakbazar, the FSCD members had to face a tough situation as the roads in Old Dhaka are very narrow where ambulances and fire fighting vehicles find it difficult to approach the spot. But what we see now! All the tall buildings have been constructed in the city’s posh Banani area without keeping enough space and not following fire code. The adjacent space is so narrow that fire fighters faced trouble to fight the flames circling the building. We wonder how they got permission from RAJUK.
A number of garment buying houses, business firms, sales centres, restaurants, internet service providers and a convention centre have their offices in the 22-floor building where several hundred people were working during the fire. We have no such words to express our profound shock at the death of 19 people, though officials doubted the number of causalities may rise.
The reason behind fire is not yet known. But we do believe, the responsible persons would be punished properly. The authorities concerned must ensure that Banani incident would not recur in future.
Deaths in fire incidents have become very common nowadays. Recently, the Chwakbazar fire caused death of 71 people along with injuring many others. At least 117 people died and over 200 were injured in a fire at Tazin Fashion in 2012. Besides, 117 people died and another 150 received burn injuries in a fire at Nimtoli of Old Dhaka in 2010. Apart from these, dozens of people die in a regular basis in domestic or other fire incidents round the year.
In the cases of Nimtoli and Chwakbazar, the FSCD members had to face a tough situation as the roads in Old Dhaka are very narrow where ambulances and fire fighting vehicles find it difficult to approach the spot. But what we see now! All the tall buildings have been constructed in the city’s posh Banani area without keeping enough space and not following fire code. The adjacent space is so narrow that fire fighters faced trouble to fight the flames circling the building. We wonder how they got permission from RAJUK.
A number of garment buying houses, business firms, sales centres, restaurants, internet service providers and a convention centre have their offices in the 22-floor building where several hundred people were working during the fire. We have no such words to express our profound shock at the death of 19 people, though officials doubted the number of causalities may rise.
The reason behind fire is not yet known. But we do believe, the responsible persons would be punished properly. The authorities concerned must ensure that Banani incident would not recur in future.
