Fire service vehicles could be seen on Friday morning, around 9:30am, preparing to clean up the streets and remove the ash of the tragedy that claimed 67 lives.
Shortly after a committee formed by Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) had visited the spot, DSCC cleaners started their work.
Water was being supplied by a large truck owned by the city corporation; to aid in the cleaning process. After pouring large quantities of water on the roads, the workers began sweeping.
Sometime later, a burnt piece of hand was found on the ground floor of a damaged building. The hand looked small, like that of a child. People gathered, sighed, and went back to cleaning up the remains of the tragedy.
Shamin Ahmed, a resident of the area said: “Maybe they can clean the stains, but the stains in our hearts will never go away.
“The damaged buildings will be broken down and rebuilt; the roads will be fully-functional soon, but the people who lost their loved ones will never be the same.”
Houses along the side of the street as well as the streets themselves looked completely black. Burnt motorcycles, rickshaws, pickup vans, and private cars could be seen in the narrow road.
A faint smell of perfume, shaving cream, and burnt materials hung in the air. Many canisters, perfume bottles, and plastic grains littered the streets.
Zakir Hussen, a student of National University said: “The reason this area has so many warehouses is because there is no need to have a gas or electric line in a warehouse. Their owners like renting places hassle-free.”
Prayer for the victims
Scores of Muslims gathered at the Churihatta Choto Masjid on Nanda Kumar Lane in Chawkbazar. The mosque is situated on the opposite side of the Haji Wahed Mansion, the first building that caught fire.
People shed tears for the victims and survivors during the Jumma prayer. They prayed for their souls to rest in peace. People who were outside and could not fit in the mosque joined the Munajat standing on the streets.
Dhaka-7 Lawmaker Haji Selim also prayed with the crowd.
The devastating fire broke out at a chemical warehouse and raged through four adjacent buildings in the city’s Chawkbazar area, on Wednesday night; leaving 67 people killed and more than 50 others injured.