Fire fighting gear in high-rise buildings

A fire broke out at a residential multi-storeyed building in the city on June 29 and we are relieved that the fire brigade personnel were able to put it out in six hours and there were no casualties. On June 24, there was a deadly fire in a shopping mall in Uttara that left 5 dead and over 100 injured. In both cases we find similarities, i.e. a lack of fire fighting equipment (FFE) in such buildings, which have mushroomed in the capital, to initially tackle the outbreak of fire before the fire brigade arrives. While the latest incident was tackled without any death, the shopping mall accident highlights the perils that people face when living in or frequenting high rise buildings. 

We always hear about investigative committees being formed to unearth the reasons for fires like this, which is usually followed by submission of a report. But why there is no follow up action by authorities remains a mystery. That there is something fundamentally wrong with building design is not news. And although we have, on paper, a national building code that makes it mandatory for construction companies to follow set parameters for fire safety, we find to our horror that buildings are constructed without following guidelines and fire safety takes a backseat.

RAJUK cannot absolve itself of responsibility when buildings are constructed bypassing the national building code. It is time to conduct an audit of high rise buildings in the city and make the code effective through hefty fines for errant builders and owners for the sake of ensuring public safety.