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Bangladesh fire death toll reaches 100, set to rise
Source: Agencies |
June 4, 2010, Friday
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AT least 100 people were killed in a fire that razed a crowded Dhaka neighbourhood overnight, and the toll is expected to rise as rescue workers pull more bodies out of smouldering debris, TV channels reported today.
TV channels reported nearly 150 people, many suffering from serious burns, had been admitted to hospitals after the fire, which was started by an explosion in an electrical transformer, engulfed the centuries-old Kayettuli neighbourhood in the heart of the Bangladeshi capital.
Police officers and firefighters said they would provide an official tally of casualty figures as soon as search and rescue operations were over, most likely on Friday afternoon.
"We are still trying to help people out of the debris and have no exact death toll yet," said one police officer in the old Dhaka area, one of the capital's most densely-populated neighbourhoods, where the fire occurred.
The fire started at around 10.30 p.m. (1630 GMT) yesterday, and spread quickly through the residential and commercial buildings in the area, a mix of modern multi-storey structures, small, tin-roofed dwellings and home-based chemical factories.
Firefighters said narrow streets and the density of the buildings hampered their access, and the chemicals in the area helped the fire spread quickly.
Many residents were also trapped inside the buildings as they rushed to get out.
TV channels reported nearly 150 people, many suffering from serious burns, had been admitted to hospitals after the fire, which was started by an explosion in an electrical transformer, engulfed the centuries-old Kayettuli neighbourhood in the heart of the Bangladeshi capital.
Police officers and firefighters said they would provide an official tally of casualty figures as soon as search and rescue operations were over, most likely on Friday afternoon.
"We are still trying to help people out of the debris and have no exact death toll yet," said one police officer in the old Dhaka area, one of the capital's most densely-populated neighbourhoods, where the fire occurred.
The fire started at around 10.30 p.m. (1630 GMT) yesterday, and spread quickly through the residential and commercial buildings in the area, a mix of modern multi-storey structures, small, tin-roofed dwellings and home-based chemical factories.
Firefighters said narrow streets and the density of the buildings hampered their access, and the chemicals in the area helped the fire spread quickly.
Many residents were also trapped inside the buildings as they rushed to get out.
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