DHAKA, – At least two people were killed and 34 others injured in a fire that broke out at FR Tower on Kamal Ataturk Avenue in city’s Banani area today.
The deceased was identified as Abdullah Al Faruq, a student of Dhaka University’s management department.
Earlier, five injured people were sent to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) with burn injuries, while two of them were in critical condition. Faruq was sent to DMCH with 90 percent burn injuries. He was declared dead by the on-duty doctors around 4:20pm.
Niras Chandra, a Sri Lankan national, was also killed in the fire, officer-in-change of Cantonment Police Station Shahan Haque confirmed BSS.
Chandra died on way to Kurmitola General Hospital, he said, adding that the injured people were admitted to different city hospitals, including DMCH and Kurmitola General Hospital.
“Some six people jumped off the building. The condition of four of them was stated to be critical,” said Ahad, additional deputy commissioner of police (Gulshan zone).
A total of 21 units of the fire service rushed to the spot and have been trying to douse the inferno. Besides, separate teams of Bangladesh Army, Bangladesh Air Force, Navy and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) are working to
control the fire that broke out at the 22-storey building on Banani road No- 17. Intensified rescue operation was undertaken to recover the victims from the spot.
Besides fire fighters, three helicopters of Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) are conducting the rescue drive to recover the people trapped inside the building. Helicopters were seen rescuing people from the fire spot.
Many victims who were trapped inside the building fell sick after inhaling smoke caused by the deadly fire, fire fighters said.
About 22 ambulances were rushed to the spot and those are being used to send the injured people to the hospitals for treatment.
Vehicular movement was suspended in adjacent roads of the fire spot aiming to carry out the rescue operation smoothly.
The fire broke out around 12:55 pm at the eighth floor of the FR Tower but reason behind the fire is yet to be known, Fire Service Control Room Duty Officer (acting) Enayet Hossain told BSS.
Many people are still trapped inside the building, while many of the victims were injured when they tried to jump from the building to escape the fire.
