Deadly city fire claims six lives
Staff Reporter :
A deadly fire broke out in a seven-story residential building on Sector 11, Uttara in the capital, claiming the lives of at least six people and injuring at least 13 others.
The deceased include Fazle Rabbi, 38, Haris, 52, Rahab, 17, Afsan, Rodela Akhter, 14, and two-and-a-half-year-old Rishan. Among the deceased, three members were from the same family.
The fire, which originated on the second floor of the building, caused dense smoke to spread throughout the structure.
At least 13 residents fell ill due to smoke inhalation and were rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment.
According to the police, the fire is believed to have originated from a kitchen on the second floor.
Investigators suspect that the blaze may have been caused either by an electrical fault or a gas leak, though the exact cause is yet to be confirmed.
One of the fortunate survivors, Shiblu, who lives on the fourth floor with his wife and two children, managed to escape the inferno.
Recalling the terrifying moments, Shiblu explained to the media, “I was sleeping when I suddenly woke up to the sound of glass shattering, like rain falling from above.
At first, I didn’t realize there was a fire. I heard what sounded like glass breaking and scattering all over the floor.”
“Then I quickly tried to evacuate with my family but got trapped inside due to the smoke. We then stayed inside the apartment, trying to stay safe, until fire service personnel helped us get out,” he continued.
Shiblu, standing near the incident site on Friday afternoon, described how he and his family narrowly escaped the fire.
“We were all asleep when the glass shattering woke us up. I ran with my family to exit, but the thick smoke forced us to retreat inside. We waited for the fire service to arrive and get us out,” he recounted.
At the scene, the building’s second and third floors were heavily covered in smoke, with broken windows and shattered glass littering the ground.
Curious onlookers gathered on the street, while police and CID personnel cordoned off the area. The main entrance of the building was sealed off with crime scene tape to prevent unauthorized access.
In a press briefing at his office later that afternoon, Officer-in-Charge (OC) Rafiq Ahmed of Uttara West Police Station stated, “We received news of the fire at 7:50am. Since the fire occurred in close proximity to our station, we were able to respond quickly.
We immediately alerted the fire service and other teams to the scene. Firefighters arrived at the site by 7:58am, and it took them nearly two and a half hours to fully control the fire, finishing the rescue operation around 10:20am.”
The OC confirmed that six people had died in the blaze. Three of the victims’ bodies were recovered from Kuwait Maitree Hospital in Uttara, one was taken to another hospital in the area, and the latest confirmed fatality was brought to Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Police teams are still working to confirm the total number of injured.
Regarding the origin of the fire, OC Rafiq Ahmed mentioned, “Based on preliminary findings, we believe the fire started in a kitchen on the second floor.
The cause could be related to an electrical malfunction or a gas leak, but we are still investigating.”
Earlier in the day, Fire Service Media Cell Officer Talha Bin Jasim confirmed that the fire started at around 7:50am in Sector 11 of Uttara.
Fire stations in the area received the call at 7:54am and dispatched two units to the scene.
The first fire service units arrived at 7:58am, and by 8:25 am, they had managed to bring the fire under control. By 10:00am, the fire was completely extinguished.
As investigations continue, authorities are working to assess the full scale of the damage and casualties.