Bailey Road fire kills at least 46

At least 46 people died in a fire that broke out in a commercial building housing the Kacchi Bhai restaurant at Bailey Road in the capital on Thursday (29 February).

Until 9:30am this morning (1 March), bodies of 40 deceased have been handed over to the families without autopsy, confirmed Assistant Commissioner Refatul Islam of the police's Newmarket Zone.

"The bodies are being handed over without autopsy at the request of the family members," he added.

Health Minister Samanta Lal told The Business Standard at around 2:05am Friday (1 March) that of the deceased, 33 bodies were in Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) and 10 in the Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery (SHNIBPS).

Later, the bodies of at least two more people who died in the fire were brought to the DMCH at around 3:00am, according to sources at the Ramna Zone of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police.

At least 13 units of the fire service managed to bring the fire under control at around 11:50pm, according to officials.

The fire is believed to have originated from the ground floor of the building.

Fire Service officials said they were informed of the fire at 9:50pm and the first unit reached the spot at 9:56pm. The reason for the fire is yet to be identified.

Read Zia Chowdhury and Jahir Rayhan's reports live from the spot for updates:

3:50

Most died due to suffocation or burn to airways

Most of the victims of the fire in a commercial building at Bailey Road died due to suffocation or burns to the airways, Brigadier General Md Asaduzzaman, director of DMC said at around 3:20am Friday.
"Only a few bodies have external burn injuries," he told reporters.

Asaduzzaman said, "Dhaka Medical College Hospital will start issuing death certificates after some time based on the applications from relatives. Ramna Police Station will oversee the handing over process of the bodies."

3:20
Fire originated from ground floor: CID chief

The fire originated from the ground floor of the building, Criminal Investigation Department Chief Mohammad Ali Mia told reporters after visiting the spot at 3:15am.

"We will start collecting evidence once we get all the information from the fire service. The collected evidence will be sent to our lab. The cause of the fire will be known after the examination there."

3:09am

The bodies of at least two more people who died in the fire were brought to the DMCH at around 3:00am, according to sources at the Ramna Zone of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police.

2:05am

Forty three people have been reported dead in the fire, said Health Minister Dr Samanta Lal Sen. 

Of the deceased, 33 bodies were in Dhaka Medical College Hospital and 10 in the Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery (SHNIBPS), added the health minister.

"I left as soon as I got the news. The prime minister asked me to come quickly. What I saw when I came here was terrible," he told TBS.

The minister also said those who are still alive have burnt airways. 

"It is very sad. Trying to keep the survivors alive. The injured are admitted to DMCH and the burn unit. There is no information yet whether there is anyone outside. Around 14 people are under treatment in DMCH and 8 in the burn unit. Everyone is being treated according to the instructions of the prime minister."

1:00am

Mohammad Rashed, a rescue worker of the fire service, exits through the back of the building with 5 other workers. They came out with air jumping bags.

Rashed says there is no one on the roof now. 

Asked if anyone has died inside or not, he said, "Our senior officers can tell."

12:45am

A security guard in an adjacent building recounts his experience saying, "There was no fire at first, we only saw smoke. When we went to the ground floor of the building to inspect the matter we heard a gas cylinder burst and the fire spread to the upper floors of the building."

"The fire spread so fast that the fire service was struggling to rescue people. Some got down from the building by climbing a rope, but many were injured in this way," he adds. 

12:30am

A total of 42 unconscious people were rescued from the burning building, said officials of the Fire Service and Civil Defence. 75 more people were rescued alive but they've left the spot.

About 10-15 people have been taken to the Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn & Plastic Surgery for sustaining injuries from the fire.

12:14am

Ansar deployed in rescue operation

Three platoons of general Ansar and one of the specially trained Ansar Guard Battalion (AGB) have been deployed to help with the fire and rescue operation. 

They are working along with the fire service.

12:00am

Santo Das, who was rescued from the building at around 11:40pm, tells The Business Standard that the fire might have originated from a cylinder blast.

He works at a restaurant on the third floor.

11:54pm

At least 19 people have been rescued so far, Fire Service officials told The Business Standard. At present, 12 units of the firefighters are working on the sport to douse the fire and carry out rescue operations.

11:45pm

AFM Bahauddin Nasim, Awami League joint secretary, reaches the spot. He is making inquiries about the ongoing situation.

11:29pm

'Trapped by fire, please pray for me': man texts mother

Abdul Kaiyum, who joined only nine days back, had texted his mother at 9:53pm.

"I told her I was trapped by the fire and to please pray for me," he said after finally managing to get out of the building. 

A worker at Fuoco restaurant, ""We were about to shut the restaurant. There were only two customers inside. Thanks to the Almighty they also survived and could come down with us," the Chandpur local said.

11:22pm

'My niece is on the roof'

Rakhi Begum, who is standing outside the building, stares up at the flames. 

"My nephew is on the roof. His name is Bikash," she said. 

Rakhi had just spoken to her nephew, who works at the Pizza Inn restaurant, and was informed that he was suffering from smoke inhalation. 

"What does it mean by development when your friends are hostage inside a blaze. Where is our helicopter?," a restaurant worker, who did not want to be identified, asked.

11:20pm

'Please ask firemen to do something'

People stuck on the rooftop of the building are calling for firefighters to rescue them, our correspondent reports from the spot.

"They are calling from the rooftop. Please ask firemen to do something. Ask the firefighters to go to the rooftop. We can't receive their call," he said.

11:14pm

IGP, DMP commissioner reach spot

DMP Commissioner Habibur Rahman and IGP Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun have reached the spot. IGP Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun is overseeing the firefighting activities. Police have joined firefighters.

11:10pm

'Please ask them not to jump'

Tamim, 17, who also works at Fuoco restaurant, just climbed down the PVC pipe of the building.

Hailing from Patuakhali's Kolapara, he has been working here for the last six months.

"It was around 10pm when we smelled smoke all around. We couldn't even see one feet ahead. We escaped through a window and climbed down using a tiny water pipe. We could fall any time," Tamim said.

"We are lucky that we didn't go to the rooftop. We could have come down ten minutes earlier but one of our colleagues was stuck inside the washroom. We waited and came down together."

11:03pm

The road has been blocked from Officer's Club to Shantinagar intersection.

Firefighters are still working to douse the blaze. 

10:58pm

A group of people working at Fuoco restaurant in the Green Cozzy Cottage building, which caught fire, have just escaped the blaze. 

They sit outside on the pavement. 

One of them informs that a few people are still stuck on the roof. 

Safayet, who has been employed for a month, said he ran down the stairs. 

"We heard screaming from 3rd floor and then everything was a blur. How I managed to survive only Allah knows," he said.

Some of those who escaped again mentioned that many people are stuck in the building.

10:50pm

Suraiya (pictured above), who works at Khanas restaurant, has just ran out of the building and fainted. 

After regaining consciousness, she said, " I was lucky I have survived. Many more are stuck in the building."

She said her uncle was still in the burning building at the time, and was later reunited with her after two hours.

Zia Chowdhury is a Staff Correspondent at The Business Standard with a wealth of experience in reporting on human rights violations, law enforcement affairs, accidents, fires, and crimes. He can be reached at zianews24@gmail.com

Jahir Rayhan is a Staff Correspondent at The Business Standard. He specializes in the private sector, investment, economic zones and commodity markets. He has been working in these fields for nine years. He can be reached at jahir.rayhan88@gmail.com