Chemicals were definitely present: Chawkbazar fire probe committee

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Bangla Tribune Report
Published : 12:05, Feb 22, 2019 | Updated : 13:20, Feb 22, 2019

Fire Service and Civil Defence Director SM Zulfiqar Rahman was addressing a media briefing on Friday (Feb 22).The Dhaka South City Corporation probe committee found chemicals at Wahid Mansion, the building where the deadly Chawbazar blaze originated.

“Chemicals were definitely there in the building,” said Fire Service and Civil Defence Director SM Zulfiqar Rahman on Friday (Feb 22).

Rahman is a member of the DSCC probe committee for determining the risky buildings and damages caused by the fire.

“The building had gas lighter refilling chemicals which in itself is highly flammable,” he said while inspecting the buildings that were gutted in the fire.

He added that apart from the lighter refill, there were perfume bottles and other chemicals that fuelled the blaze and helped it spread.

“I don’t know from which perspective the industries minister said that there were no chemicals at Wahid Mansion. We saw the chemicals,” he said.

Meanwhile, another member of the committee, Dr Mehedi Ahmed Ansari, an engineering professor at BUET said that it will take a week to figure out whether the fire-ravaged buildings are fit for further use.

“Five buildings were damaged,” Ansari said, adding that Wahid Mansion was housed a chemical warehouse on its second floor and was not equipped to deal with a fire.

He said that the mansion, a relatively large building build on a considerable expanse of land had only one staircase which isn’t sufficient.

RAJUK authorised officer Nuruzzaman Jahid said that they, however, don’t have enough information to know whether the building was RAJUK approved.”

DSCC Chief Engineer Rezaul Karim, who was present during the inspection said, “The mayor had requested the residents to remove these (warehouses) from here only a few days ago.”

He added that no license was given to them and neither were they renewed.

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