Elderly woman killed in fire at Mohammadpur

A paralysed elderly woman was burnt to death on her bed after a fire swept through her house in Mohammadpur yesterday.

The deceased is Mabia Begum (60), a resident of Banshbari Mandir Goli area near Mohammadpur Bus Stand.

The fire broke out on the third floor of the seven-storied building around 9:15am. Fire officials rushed to the spot upon information, but locals had doused the blaze before they reached, said Ashraful Islam, station officer of local fire station.

Mabia was bedridden for long time, and family members had fitted two electronic medical devices to her bed for treatment. The fire might have originated from a short-circuit in the devices, fire officials and family members said.

As fire and smoke engulfed the flat, family members ran to safety but the woman died on her bed, Ashraful said. 

Mabia's brother Mohammad Wasim said the devices were used for therapeutic purposes, as per doctors' recommendation.

"... We could not enter the room to rescue her due to heavy smoke and fire," he added.