Bangladesh: Death toll reaches to 70 in chemical warehouses massive fire

Dhaka: At least seventy people lost their lives while 56 were reported injured in a massive fire that engulfed the multi-storied buildings in the Chawkbazar area of Old Dhaka, Bangladesh, on Wednesday night. A three-member committee has been formed to probe in the matter.

The fire broke out around 10.35 p.m. last night at a chemical storehouse on the ground floor of the building.

The narrow roads of the old city and the concentration of chemical and plastic factories and storages turned into firefighters' nightmare as they tried to limit casualties caused due to fire.

The fire-fighters, however, managed to douse the flames by 3 a.m. but by then it had claimed many lives. The Dhaka Metropolitan Police said the blaze spread rapidly due to multiple chemical godowns situated in the area.

The Fire Service Control Room official Mahfuz Riben had confirmed the death of 69 people. "We have so far recovered all 69 bodies," Riben had said, an hour before one more body was recovered.

Dozens of people, including women and children, were also injured and admitted to nearby hospitals, including Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) and Sir Salimullah Medical College Hospital (Mitford Hospital).

"Our priority right now is to douse the fire completely and tend to the wounded," Dhaka South City Corporation Mayor Sayeed Khokon said.

The authorities of the state, however, didn't respond to the questions about the warehouses in the buildings in Old Dhaka where chemicals are kept in unsafe conditions. The unsafe and illegal storage of the chemicals in the residential area is said to be the cause of this devastating and rapidly spread fire.