Fire safety at restaurants: 16 detained from Dhaka's Wari

Police have detained 16 people in raids targeting restaurants in the capital's Wari area this afternoon for neglecting fire safety measures.

In the drive, which started around 3:45pm today, police have inspected 16 to 20 restaurants on Wari's Ranking Street, said SM Shamim, additional deputy commissioner of DMP's Wari Zone.

We have found some restaurants were conducting their businesses in residential buildings, he said.

We also found that some of them were keeping eight to ten gas cylinder in the kitchen. Also several other gas cylinders were found in congested places near the kitchen, he added.

The official said they found no fire exits in some of the residential buildings.

Photo: Collected

Some of the restaurants did not even bother to keep fire extinguishers or had expired ones, he added.

Talking to reporters at the spot, Deputy Commissioner of Wari Division Iqbal Hossain said 16 people who work at those restaurants were detained.

We will take action against these rule violators, he said.

Police said they were detaining people under sections 285 and 286 of the penal code, which deal with negligence regarding fire and flammable and explosive substances.

Besides, Wari police have arrested two staffers of Peshwarain restaurant, where a fire broke out Friday night. The arrestees -- Salauddin Ahmed, 29, and Saiful Islam alias Shimul, 30, -- were managers of the restaurant and produced before a court today in a case filed by police.

The drive came after at least 46 people were killed and 22 critically injured in a fire tragedy in the Baily Road area last Thursday. The fire at the seven-storey Green Cozy Cottage Shopping Mall originated at the kitchen of a food shop.