Staff Reporter :
An elderly woman died in the suffocation of fire that broke out at a multi-storey building in the city’s Dhanmondi residential area on Saturday morning.
The deceased has been identified as Jamila Kuti, 65, hailing from Gaibandha. She used to work as a housemaid on the seventh floor of the same building, said Shamim Uddin, Manager of the building.
Besides, a 12-year-old girl named Shaheda was admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) as she fell sick for inhaling smoke caused by the fire, said Inspector Bachchu Miah, In-charge of DMCH Police Outpost. The fire originated on the 2nd floor of the 13 storey-building in the Dhanmondi 6/A residential area, opposite to the Eidgah ground around 9:15am, said Mohammad Rasel, On-duty Officer of Fire Service and Civil Defence Control Room. On information, three units of firefighters rushed to the spot and doused the fire around 10:20 am. Later, the firefighters entered the building and rescued two people — Puti and Shaheda — in critical condition from stairs. They were sent to DMCH where doctors declared Jamila dead, said Inspector Bachchu Miah.
Shamim Uddin also said when the smoke started spreading, some inmates came out of the building by the stairs while some others went to the building’s rooftop.
The reason of fire might be electric short circuit, Fire Service officials and family members said.
However, the extent of loss from the fire could not be assessed immediately. The source of the fire and the extent of damage incurred could not be determined immediately.
