Bailey Road fire: Most died due to suffocation or burn to airways
At least 45 people have been killed in the tragic incident, according to officials and witnesses. The toll is feared to rise further.
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 the Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) said at around 3:20am Friday (1 March).
"Only a few bodies have external burn injuries," he told reporters.
At least 45 people have been killed in the tragic incident, according to officials and witnesses. The toll is feared to rise further.
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Health Minister Samanta Lal told The Business Standard at around 2:05am Friday (1 March) that of the deceased, 33 bodies were in the 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.
Asaduzzaman said due to the cause of the death identifying the bodies will be easy.
"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," he added.
The fire at the commercial building housing multiple restaurants, including Kacchi Bhai, broke out at around 9:50pm Thursday.
A total of 13 units of fire service brought the fire under control at around 11:50pm with the help of police and RAB teams. The reason for the fire is yet to be identified.
According to Criminal Investigation Department Chief Mohammad Ali Mia, the fire originated from the ground floor of the building. But the reason for the fire is yet to be identified.
The Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD) headquarters has formed a five-member committee to investigate the incident.
