A fire at a house in Chittagong on Monday killed a woman and left eight others with severe burns.
The deceased was identified by family members and police as Peyara Begum, 65.
Assistant Sub-inspector (ASI) Alauddin Talukder of Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) police outpost, confirmed that she passed away at around 11:45am on Monday while undergoing treatment at the burn and plastic surgery unit of the hospital.
Shortly after her passing, on Monday afternoon, five of the remaining eight persons injured in the incident were sent to Dhaka for treatment at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital burn unit.
Earlier, at 9pm on Sunday, nine people, most of whom belong to the same family, sustained burn injuries in a fire that reportedly started due to an electric short circuit in a house at Uttar Kattoli area of Chittagong city.
According to the Agrabad Control Room of Fire Service and Civil Defense, the accident took place on the fifth floor of a six-storied building.
The injured were identified as Mizanur Rahman, 42, Saiful Islam, 25, Bibi Sultana, 36, Manha, 2, Mahir, 8, Peyara Begum, 65, Riaz, 22, Jahan, 21, and Sumaiya, 18.
Farid Ahmed Chowdhury, deputy assistant director of Chittagong Fire Service, said that the fire originated from an electric short circuit and later the sparks spread across the electricity line in the house.
On being informed, a team of firefighters rushed to the spot and brought the fire under control.
ASI Alauddin Talukder said that the injured were taken to the hospital around 11pm on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the Chittagong district administration formed a five-member probe committee on Monday to investigate the incident, according to Chittagong Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) AZM Sharif Hossain.
“The probe body has been asked to submit its report within seven working days,” he added.