The deadly fire at Old Dhaka was caused by LP gas cylinder explosion, says Industries Minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun before adding no chemicals were stored on the ground floor of the building where the fire started.
At least 70 people were killed and dozens were injured when a fast-moving fire ripped through several buildings at the densely-populated Chawkbazar late on Wednesday night. The death toll is likely to climb as several people are being treated with severe burn injuries at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH).
Speaking to the media after visiting the DMCH burns unit, Humayun said the fire had nothing to do with chemicals.
“LP gas cylinder blast caused the fire. There were no chemical warehouses at the site of the fire,” he said.
As many 37 fire-fighting units had to battle for nearly 15 hours to douse the flames which ripped through several tightly-packed buildings in the narrow lane of Chawkbazar’s Churihata.
The fire service said the blaze was highly difficult to control because of flammable chemicals that were stored in several buildings.
Industries Minister Humayun said it was tough to relocate the chemical businesses in Old Dhaka.
“They have been doing it for generations. It just cannot be stopped. I hail from Old Dhaka and I know very well [the situation],” he added.
The fire started at a four-storey building, which is at the risk of collapsing due to damage. From there, the fire spread to a restaurant and three other buildings in the narrow alley.
The ground floor of the building, where the fire originated, had several shops. The first floor was being used as a warehouse for plastic goods, cosmetics and perfume while the upper floors were residential.
Wednesday’s blaze was a grim reminder of the 2010 incident just a half a kilometre away at Nimtali which killed 124, a fire that was also made worse by the presence of an illegal chemicals warehouse.
The minister, however, said the Chawkbazar fire had nothing to do with chemicals. “I have visited the scene. This is a different case.”
Chawkbazar is a hub of chemical businesses and local perfume factories, though authorities banned the storage of chemical goods after the 2010 fire.
Responding to a query over not relocating chemical warehouse nearly nine years later, Humayun threw tantrums.
“Are you from outer space? Will we bulldoze the entire city?” he told reporters before adding that the chemical businesses do not want to relocate their warehouses.
Industries Secretary Md Abdul Halim, who was with Humayun during the DMCH visit, later told Bangla Tribune that the minister did not mean that chemical warehouses couldn’t be removed.
“What he said is, it’s not possible to relocate the people involved with chemical businesses,” he said.