At least 48 students have been hospitalized after a fire at Jamia Ashrafia Madrasa in the Signboard area of Fatullah, Narayanganj, left them suffering from smoke inhalation.
Three of them are in the intensive care unit (ICU) in critical condition.
The fire broke out at around 1:55am on Tuesday. Four units of the Fire Service brought it under control after nearly two hours of efforts.
Sultan Mahmud Sikder, a resident physician at the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery, said 48 students were brought to the hospital after falling ill from smoke inhalation. Three of them are in critical condition.
The students admitted to the ICU are Yusuf, 18, Khairul, 22, and Zubair, 18.
Fire Service duty officer Shahjahan said four units were dispatched to the scene after receiving reports of the fire at 1:55am. The fire was brought under control at 3:44am. It originated on the second floor of the five-storey madrasa building.
Students receiving treatment at the hospital said there was a library on the second floor, which was gutted by the fire.
Sultan Mahmud Sikder, citing the affected students, said the fire was believed to have started from an electrical short circuit in one section of the madrasa.
Smoke quickly spread through the building, triggering panic among the students. They rushed to get out, causing a scramble. Several students suffered damage to their respiratory tracts due to the smoke.
