Dhaka [Bangladesh], March 1 : Tragedy struck on Thursday night as a ferocious fire claimed the lives of at least 44 people and left over 20 severely injured in a commercial building on Bailey Road, housing multiple restaurants in the national capital, the Dhaka Tribune reported.
Firefighters undertook a perilous rescue mission, saving 70 individuals, including 42 found unconscious, from the seven-story Green Cosy Cottage.
Health Minister Samanta Lal Sen, Dhaka-8 lawmaker AFM Bahauddin Nasim, and senior law enforcement officials rushed to the scene to assess the situation.
Addressing the media at 2 am, Sen reported 33 fatalities at Dhaka Medical College Hospital and an additional 10 at the Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery. The Inspector General of Police later confirmed another death at the Central Police Hospital, bringing the total to 44 casualties.
In a press briefing, IGP Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun revealed that 75 individuals had been rescued, some of whom received first aid before safely returning home, according to the Dhaka Tribune.
Firefighters, battling the blaze that was brought under control around 12:30 am, shared that most victims succumbed to injuries sustained from jumping off the building or from burns and suffocation. The grim process of transporting the bodies from the building to a waiting truck began at 1 am.
The fire originated at the "Kacchi Bhai" restaurant on the first floor around 9:45 pm, quickly spreading to other levels where patrons were dining. Thirteen Fire Service units worked tirelessly to quell the flames, with support from Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), General Ansar, and Ansar Guard Battalion (AGB).
Fire officials attributed the rapid spread of the blaze to gas cylinders present in restaurant kitchens on multiple floors. The thick smoke in the staircase hampered people's ability to exit the building promptly, contributing to the gravity of the situation, the Dhaka Tribune reported.
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