Bangladesh building fire kills 46, injures dozens.

DHAKA, March 1 - A devastating fire in Bangladesh swept through a six-story building housing restaurants, where numerous families with children were dining, claiming the lives of at least 46 people and injuring many others, according to the health minister on Friday. Fire officials suggested that a gas leak or a stove might have triggered the blaze on Thursday in the capital, which rapidly spread from a biryani restaurant and was only brought under control after a two-hour effort by 13 firefighting units.

Health Minister Samanta Lal Sen informed reporters that hospitals are currently treating 22 individuals for burn injuries, all of whom are in critical condition. "We are doing everything in our power to save their lives," Sen, a renowned physician, stated after visiting Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

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Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed deep shock and sorrow over the incident, directing swift treatment for the injured. Survivor Mohammad Altaf recounted his narrow escape from the fire, which claimed the lives of two of his colleagues. "I went to the kitchen, broke a window, and jumped to save myself," he told reporters, adding that a cashier and server who had initially urged people to evacuate later perished.

Firefighters used cranes to rescue individuals from the charred building, with officials still working to clear debris and extinguish any remaining embers. Relatives gathered at the hospital early Friday to receive the bodies of the deceased, with some mourning outside the emergency department.

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"I couldn't save my daughter," lamented Abdul Quddus, father of Nimu, who, according to relatives, was among a group of five cousins and friends who all perished in the fire. Another victim was Syed Mubarak Hossain Kauchar, who along with his wife, two daughters, and a son, was celebrating their plans to emigrate to Italy on March 18, after receiving their visas on Thursday, a relative said. "Their dream was finally coming true," said his cousin, Atiqur Rahman. "To celebrate, they went to a restaurant but tragically lost their lives."

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Doctors stated that most of the victims died from suffocation, while others perished as they jumped from the building, which also housed several clothing and mobile telephone shops. Video footage from a witness on Thursday showed smoke billowing from the building's side. Brigadier General Main Uddin, a top fire service official, suggested that the fire might have started from a gas leak or stove. "It was a hazardous building with gas cylinders on every floor, even on the stairs," he told Reuters, noting the building's lack of ventilation, emergency exits, and other safety features, including only a single staircase.

The government has formed a five-member panel to investigate the incident. The main opposition party blamed the government for the fire, with Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, the secretary-general of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), stating in a release, "Accidents and disasters continue to occur due to the absence of the rule of law." He added, "The government is not answerable to the people, which is why anarchy prevails, resulting in numerous accidents and loss of lives."

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Bangladesh has faced intense scrutiny, especially in the garment sector, following the deaths of more than 1,200 workers in a 2012 fire and a 2013 building collapse. Since then, measures have been taken to prevent such disasters in the garment industry, but in other sectors, particularly those catering to the domestic economy, safety measures have not received the same attention, resulting in hundreds of deaths in fires.

Fires are a frequent occurrence in densely populated Dhaka, where many new buildings lack adequate safety measures. Faulty gas cylinders, air conditioners, and poor electrical wiring have all been cited as causes of fires and explosions. In July 2021, 54 people, including many children, were killed in a fire at a food processing factory outside Dhaka, while at least 70 people lost their lives in a February 2019 fire that engulfed a centuries-old precinct.

बांग्लादेश की इमारत में आग लगने से 46 लोगों की मौत, दर्जनों घायल।