Bodies of 27 people killed in the fire at a multi-storey building on Bailey Road in the capital have been identified at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital. This was learned from hospital sources today, Friday morning.
Reportedly, at least 45 people have been killed in the fire while 22 people sustained severe injuries. It is being feared that the death toll can increase even further.
The building caught fire around 9:45pm on Thursday. People killed and injured in the fire had been taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital and Sheikh Hasina Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute.
According to sources, bodies of 34 people had been taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital from the spot. Besides, another person died while undergoing treatment.
So far, bodies of 27 people have been identified there. Most of the identified bodies have already been handed over. Bodies that couldn’t be identified yet have been kept at the morgue of the hospital.
The process of handing over the bodies of deceased people to their relatives started at around 6:00am. The district administration alongside police and fire service members are involved with the process of handing over the bodies.
The building catching fire on Bailey Road last night was a seven-storey building. The building houses some prominent eateries, including Kacchi Bhai, and a clothing shop. It usually sees a rush in the evening, with people hanging out with their near and dear ones at the restaurants.
According to locals, the fire originated on the ground floor and later engulfed the upper ones. Within a short period of time, the fire service members arrived and tried to put the fire out.
In addition to that, they started rescuing people taking refuge on the seventh floor and the rooftop of the restaurant using cranes. Some 13 firefighting units brought the blaze under control around 11:50pm after hours of frantic efforts.