The deadly fire at Chawbazar shows that people didn’t take lesson from the Nimtoli fire tragedy, said Dr Samanta Lal Sen, Chief coordinator of Sheikh Hasina National Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute.

“The accident at Chawkbazar happened because we didn’t learn from the tragedy at Nimtoli,” he told Bangla Tribune on Thursday (Feb 21).

As many as 18 patients have been admitted since the fire broke out, he said, adding that one has been admitted at the institute’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and eight have been transferred to post operative room.

“All the patients are male and they are in critical condition. All of them suffered major burn injuries. Some of them suffered 35 to 60 percent burn injuries,” Sen said.

According to him most of them are suffering from damages to their windpipe.

He said that the victims will bear the trauma of the accidents for life chances of them going back to normal life is quite thin.

Wednesday night’s fire reminded many Old Dhaka residents of the Nimtoli fire tragedy that took place on Jun 3, 2010 that killed at least 124 people.

It had sparked a public outcry, demanding the relocation of chemical warehouses and stores from the area, but little has been done in the last nine years.