A fatal fire broke out in a seven-floor commercial building in Dhaka, Bangladesh on the evening of Thursday, February 29, 2024, causing a high number of casualties and injuries.
The fire took the lives of at least 46 people and injured numerous others, some of them critically.
The fire started around 10:00 p.m., with initial reports pointing to Kacchi Bhai, a restaurant within the building, as the source. However, further investigations and a statement from Abdul Halim, the manager of Kacchi Bhai, shifted the suspected origin to Chumak, another ground-floor eatery. The fire spread rapidly through the building, which housed a range of shops and restaurants, trapping many inside.
Emergency services arrived on the scene and fought the blaze for over two hours before successfully containing it. Their efforts were significantly impeded by the building’s dangerous layout, which included gas cylinders on each floor and along staircases, and a severe lack of crucial safety measures such as adequate ventilation, and fire safety equipment. Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said there were no fire exits in the building.
Health Minister Samanta Lal Sen reported that 33 victims were declared dead upon arrival at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, while an additional 10 deaths were recorded at the city’s primary burns hospital and three more died later. Moreover, at least 22 people are currently receiving critical care in hospitals. This tragic incident has once again highlighted the critical issue of fire safety in Bangladesh, shedding light on the frequent lack of safety protocols in both commercial and residential buildings.
Survivors recounted their terrifying experiences of escaping through broken windows or descending the building using improvised ropes. Some jumped to their deaths from higher floors. Mohammad Altaf, a survivor, narrated his narrow escape, a sobering story tainted by the death of two colleagues who played significant roles in the evacuation process but did not survive. The building only had one staircase and one elevator, according to witnesses. Violations of building codes were evident, as eight restaurants operated in a building without permits for food establishments, and builders had not fixed fire extinguishing system problems.
Brigadier General Main Uddin, who leads the Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defense, suggested that the fire could have been caused by a gas leak or a faulty stove. He emphasized the dangerous condition of the building, exacerbated by the improper storage of flammable materials such as gas cylinders throughout the structure.
The repeated occurrence of such fires has reignited concerns regarding the enforcement of building codes and safety regulations within Dhaka.
In response to this, the government has announced the establishment of an investigative committee. The committee’s task is to determine the exact cause of the fire and evaluate the safety standards of commercial buildings all over the city.