The death toll from the devastating fire at FR Tower in the city’s Banani area rose to 25 as six more bodies were recovered from the spot on Friday morning.
Talking to reporters at the spot Mustaq Ahmed, deputy commissioner (Gulshan division) said the death toll from the incident rose to 25 till Friday morning and the firefighting units are continuing the salvage operation.
Meanwhile, Bachchu Miah, in-charge of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) police camp, said ten bodies have been handed over to the family members of the deceased till Friday morning.
The fire broke out around 12:45 pm on the fifth floor of the 22-storey FR Tower at 12:45 pm on Thursday and 20 firefighting units brought the blaze under control around 4:45pm.
Around 100 people were also injured. The injured were admitted to Kurmitola Hospital, United Hospital and Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Those with critical injuries are being treated there while others were released after primary treatment.
IDENTITIES OF THE DEAD VICTIMS
Syeda Amina Yasmin (48), of Bhola; Md Monir Hosen (52) of Barishal; Md Maksudur Rahman (32) of Dhaka; Md Abdullah Al Mamun (40) of Dinajpur; Md Mostafizur Rahman (36) of Rangpur; Md Mizanur Rahman, of Khulna; Florida Khanam Poli (45) of Dhaka’s Runagar; Ataur Rahman (62) of Dhaka; Md Rezaul Karim Raju (40) of Chandpur; Ahmmad Jafar (59) of Narayanganj; Jebunnesa (30) of Noakhali; Md Salahuddin Mithu (25) of Dhaka; Nahidul Islam Tusher (35) of Tangail; Tanjila Mouli (25) of Bogura; Md Parvez Sazzad(46) of Gopalganj.
The rests are: Iftiar Hosen Mithu (37) of Kushtia; Sheikh Janin Tasmin Bristi (25) of Jashore; Md Fazle Rabbi (30) of Narayanganj; Atiqur Rahman (42) of Shariatpur; Anjil Siddique Abir (27) of Lalmonirhat; Abdullah Al Faruk (32) of Dhaka; Rumki Akhter (30) of Nilphamari; Md Manjur Hasan (49) of Naogaon; Amir Hosen Rabbi (29) of Pabna; and Nirosh, a Sri Lankan national.
The Banani fire incident, that has claimed 25 lives, comes barely a month after a devastating fire ripped through Old Dhaka’s Chawkbazar area on February 20, leaving 71 people dead.
The Chawkbazar fire, which sparked from a chemical warehouse, is the second deadliest chemical-fuelled fire in the country after the 2010 Nimtoli incident.
Fire incidents at the city’s burgeoning skyscrapers are nothing new. Cramped buildings, narrow alleyways, lack of fire security kits, inadequate fire exits in the skyscrapers are often considered a recipe of disasters.
Bd24live/Hk