When kitchen markets are ticking time bombs
In a devastating incident that unfolded in the early hours of Thursday, a fire engulfed Mohammadpur Krishi Market and reduced over 200 shops to ashes, causing colossal financial losses to the shop owners and staff. It has become painfully clear that our kitchen markets remain, despite repeated warnings, hotbeds of fire hazards. Following closely on the heels of the fires at Bangabazar and New Super Market, yet another kitchen market fire underscores the urgent need for concerted action to address the glaring risks posed by these structures before another catastrophe strikes.
The Mohammadpur Krishi Market, a one-storey structure with a corrugated iron roof, was already on the list of risky kitchen markets in Dhaka, according to firefighters. The shop owners had apparently been notified multiple times about the impending danger, but those warnings went unheeded. The fire, suspected to have been triggered by either a faulty electric wire or a mosquito coil, spread with alarming speed, in the absence of necessary fire safety equipment on the premises. The market's narrow alleys, blocked by piles of goods, prevented easy access for first responders.
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With no nearby water body to tap into, firefighters had to rely partially on water provided by external sources, which delayed the process. Yet the authorities seem least concerned about the alarming speed at which the much-needed water bodies in the city are being occupied and filled up in our greed for development.
Over the past year, similar massive fires have struck numerous markets and commercial areas in Dhaka. It is an alarming pattern that calls for immediate intervention and reform. It is obvious that simply "warning" the shopkeepers is not enough. We need proactive and constructive measures from the authorities to ensure that our kitchen markets have the necessary fire safety infrastructure, and that shop owners as well as city authorities are educated and held accountable for maintaining fire safety standards. The city corporations, in particular, must take decisive action to prevent future tragedies.
Public awareness campaigns should also be intensified to educate citizens about fire safety and the importance of adhering to safety regulations. It is imperative that we create safer city amenities for our citizens and protect their livelihoods from the devastating impact of fires like the one witnessed at Krishi Market.
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