Elderly couple die from smoke inhalation after fire at bedroom

An elderly couple died from smoke inhalation after a fire broke out in their bedroom at Gulshan area in Dhaka.

The incident took place on Wednesday around 3:15 am at a flat on the fifth floor of a building at street No. 7 in Gulshan-1.   

The deceased are Obaidul Haque, 72, and his paralaysed wife Jahanara Begum, 68, -- who would stay in the apartment with two housemaids, as their only daughter lives in the United States.

According to the police and fire service, a fire broke out all of a sudden in their bedroom around 3:15 am while they were sleeping. Residents of other flats nearby woke up hearing the scream of the housemaids. Then, they broke the door of the bedroom, but couldn't rescue the couple as the room was engulfed in smoke.

Tejgaon fire service inspector Jahirul Islam on Thursday told Prothom Alo that two units reached the scene as soon as they were informed. When fire fighters entered the room, they saw a wooden almirah, chair-table, and fire burning in a corner of the couple's bed and the room was engulfed in smoke. At that time, they rescued them and admitted to the united hospital -- where they breathed their last after a while.

Inspector Jahirul Islam said the couple died from smoke inhalation. Primarily, it is suspected that the fire originated from the electric short circuit.

Gulshan police station officer-in-charge BM Forman Ali told Prothom Alo that their relatives took their bodies to Noakhali after the autopsy. An unnatural death case was lodged with Gulshan police station over the incident.