9 of a family injured in N'ganj fire

At least nine members of a family sustained burn injuries in fire at a flat in Fatullah in Narayanganj yesterday.

Fire service and civil defence officials said the fire might have originated from a burning mosquito repellent coil.

The incident occurred in a second floor flat in a four storey building called Ferdousi Manzil at Kotowaler Bagh area in Fatullah around 6:30am.

The injured are Shrinath Das, 35, with 30 percent burns; his wife Archana Rani Das, 28, with 19 percent burns; their son Arpit Das, 10, with 40 percent burns; daughter Anamika Das, 15, with 42 percent burns; Shrinath's sister Sumitra Rani Das, 27, with 65 percent burns; her husband Narayan Chandra Das, 40, with 19 percent burns; their relatives Promit Das, 14, with 10 percent burns; Shaon Das, 10, with 42 percent burns; and Shrinath's mother Hari Dasi, 55, with 90 percent burns.

Speaking to The Daily Star, building owner Zakir Hossain's son Zubair Hossain said that he heard people shouting the word “fire” at 6:30am and ran out of the house. “I saw black smoke billowing from inside the house,” he said.

Locals and other residents of the building rescued the injured and first took them to Narayanganj 300-bed Hospital in Khanpur. Doctors there referred them to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH).  They are now undergoing treatment at DMCH's Burn Unit.

Quoting doctors, DMCH Police Outpost Sub-Inspector (SI) Bachhu Miah said four of the nine burnt are in critical condition.

Local resident Sohel Miah, one of the rescuers, said Narayan Chandra was sleeping in the room next to the one in which the fire started. When he switched on the light, he saw fire in the next room and started shouting. He sustained injuries when he tried to rescue the others. The fire was eventually doused by residents who went to rescue the injured.

Sohel added that all the victims sustained burn injuries and the furniture in the room was also burnt.

Narayanganj Fire service and Civil Defence Assistant Deputy Director Abdullah Al Arefin said, the fuel gas did not explode as the windows of the kitchen were open, adding that a mosquito repellent coil stand was found in the damaged room and they were suspecting the coil started the fire.