Dhaka: A fire that broke out in a six-storey building in the Shahjadpur area of Dhaka has resulted in the deaths of four individuals. The blaze was brought under control this afternoon.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, one of the deceased has been identified as Miron, aged 45. The fire started at 12:17 pm on the second floor of the building, which houses a women's beauty parlor. It was brought under control by 1:04 pm with the help of two fire fighting engines, as stated by Kazi Nazmuzzaman, assistant director of the Fire Service and Civil Defence, during a news briefing at the scene.
The victims succumbed to suffocation from smoke inhalation. Their bodies were found on the staircases and in a toilet on the sixth floor and have been handed over to the police. It was noted that the residents of the building tried to reach the rooftop to escape the smoke, but the access gate was locked, preventing their escape.
Nazmuzzaman explained that the residents' chances of survival were hampered by the fact that the staircase windows were sealed with glass, preventing smoke from escaping. Moreover, the building was not constructed according to the plan approved by Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK) and lacked adequate fire safety measures.
The building, which comprises a hardware shop on the first floor, a beauty parlor on the second, and a residential hotel from the third to sixth floors, did not have a proper fire safety plan. The staircase, only three feet wide, further exacerbated the situation, as confirmed by Nazmuzzaman.
An investigation committee will be formed to determine the cause of the fire and assess the extent of the damage.