Banani Fire: 7 confirmed dead, rescue underway
A total of seven deaths have been confirmed in a deadly fire that broke out at FR Tower in Dhaka’s Banani area.
Besides, many others were injured in the incident.
The deceased were identified as Abdullah Al Faruk, 35, Nirash Chandra (a Sri Lankan national), Parvez Sajjad, 47, Amena Yeasmin, 40, Mamun, 36, Maqsudur, 66 and Monir 50.
A control room has been set at Banani Police Station. Sources from the control room said, Parvez died at Banani Clinic, Amena at Apollo Hospital while Mamun, Maqsudur and Monir died at United Hospital.
Faruk, who suffered 95 per cent burns in the fire, succumbed to his injuries at Dhaka Medical College Hospital around 4:20pm, confired Dr Samanta Lal Sen, chief coordinator of National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery of the DMCH.
Nirash Chandra died while he tried to jump off the building. Doctors at Kurmitola General Hospital declared him dead after arrival.
Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Cantonment police station Kazi Shahan Haque confirmed the matter saying the victim fell off the building while trying to escape the fire.
Earlier, the fire broke out at 19-storey ‘FR Tower’ on Kemal Ataturk Avenue in Dhaka’s Banani area on Thursday.
The flame started around 12:45 pm at the ninth floor of the FR Tower, said an official of Fire Service and Civil Defense control room.
A large number of people were injured in the fire that broke out at Banani FR Tower in Dhaka on Thursday afternoon.
They got hurt while trying to jump off the burning building.
Twenty firefighting units are trying to extinguish the blaze till filing of this report.
“Twenty firefighting units of the Dhaka Fire Service and Civil Defense are trying to douse the fire,” said Fire Service Central Control Room Duty officer Rasel.
Two helicopters of Air Force have joined the operation to assist the firefighters.
According to the control room, many people are trapped in the building.
Witnesses claimed that fire service arrived late at the scene, causing the fire to grow out of control.
Helicopters were seen hovering around the area.
Besides, fire service members rescued 20 people from adjoining ‘Ahmed Tower’ by breaking its grills, according to a witness.
Many people were also rescued by breaking the glasses of the burning building.
However, the origin of the fire could not be known immediately.