Bangladesh: Fire In Dhaka Kills 69 People, Injures Around 50

A catastrophic fire which raced through at least five buildings in the Chawkbazar area in Dhaka killed at least 69 people and injured around 50 people. As per reports, the area where the fire was burning is crammed with buildings separated by narrow alleys, and the neighbourhood is a mix of commercial and residential.

The blaze started late night on 20 February (Wednesday) in one building but quickly spread to others, said the fire department, Director General Brig Gen Ali Ahmed as reported by Hindustan Times. He also said that 45 bodies were recovered as they worked to get the blaze under control. Some of the floors of the destroyed buildings had plastic and chemicals in storage.

The death toll could still go up as the condition of some of the injured people remain critical, said Samanta Lal Sen, head of a burn unit of the Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Furthermore, he said that at least nine of the critically injured people were being treated in his unit.