43 killed in Dhaka building fire

Dhaka, March 1 (IANS) At least 43 people were killed in a deadly fire that broke out at a six-storey commercial building on Baily Road in Dhaka late on Thursday night.

Of the deceased, 33 died at Dhaka Medical College Hospital and 10 in Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery, said Health Minister Samanta Lal Sen.

He added that more than 22 people were severely burned are battling for their lives.

Around 75 people, including 42 in an unconscious state, were rescued from Green Cozy Cottage Shopping Mall.

The Fire Service says the Green Cozy Cottage houses Kacchi Bhai biriyani shop, an outlet of retailer Illiyeen, and several other shops.

Live videos shared by people on Facebook showed a fire engulfing the building while onlookers gathered outside.

Locals and firefighters were seen rescuing the people trapped inside the building in some of the videos.

The fire that broke out around 9:50 p.m. was brought under control after two hours.

Mohammad Rashed, a rescue worker of the Fire Service, exited through the back of the building with five other workers. All of them escaped out of the building with air jumping bags.

A security guard in an adjacent building recounted his experience saying, "There was no fire at first, we only saw smoke. When I went to the ground floor of the building to inspect the matter I heard a gas cylinder burst and the fire spread to the upper floors of the building."

"The fire spread so fast that the Fire service was struggling to rescue people. Some got down from the building by climbing a rope, but many were injured in this way," he added.

Around 10-15 people have been taken to the Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery for sustaining injuries from the fire.

Three platoons of paramilitary, Bangladesh Ansar and one of the specially trained Ansar Guard Battalion have been deployed to help in the fire and rescue operation working together with the Fire service.

Santo Das, rescued from the building at around 11:40 p.m., told IANS that the fire might have originated from a cylinder blast. He works at a restaurant on the third floor of the building.

At least 19 people have been rescued so far, Fire Service officials said. Nearly 12 units of the firefighters worked to douse the fire and carry out rescue operations.