Sylhet divisional fire service office is not properly equipped with appliances and equipment to conduct swift rescue operation as the area is situated on the danger zone of earthquake.
Despite having allotted two sophisticated ladders for the unit one year ago, they are yet to manage a garage for the machinery and in absence of which they could not bring those to the district finally.
They are a turntable ladder and a snorkel ladder which are considered very effective equipment to carry out rescue drives during any earthquake-ensued disasters.
The turntable ladder is able to run operation 46-metre from the standing point while the capacity of the snorkel ladder is 27-metre.
The concern appears following the Sunday’s earthquake across the country although the disaster barely left mentionable casualties in the city because of its remote epicentre in Imphal of India’s Manipur state.
However, the tremor injured a total of 33 people in the city, said Sylhet Chief Met Officer Sayed Ahmad Chowdhury making warning that the area may feel strong jolt any time because of staying on the danger point.
Sylhet Fire Service and Civil Defence Senior Station Officer Jabed Hossain Md Tarek told the Dhaka Tribune that: “At present the city sees many skyscrapers and in this circumstance, it does not has enough equipment for rescue operations during any natural disasters in the buildings.”
Since Sylhet divisional fire service office got allocation of a turntable ladder and snorkel ladder one year ago, the authorities concerned were yet to manage a garage for the highly useful appliances, Jabed continued.
In reply to a query, he said: “There is no emergency exit in 20% of the buildings in the city while at least three exit points are needed for each high-rise establishment. Even we do not issue clearance certificate to those who fail to fulfil the requirement.”
Engineer Mostafa Shahriar, chairman of Bangladesh Institute of Engineers (Sylhet zone), said the city has no necessary measures to run rescue operations during the tremor-ensued disasters and the building code was being violated there as well.
“This is why big disaster may appear any time as the area is situated in highly tremor-prone zone for long. One upon a time, tin-shed houses used to build to remain safe from possible earthquake, but many people have been erecting high-rise establishments defying the building code while the ill move creates the fear of danger more,” the chairman added.
He went on that Dauki fault, epicentre of earthquake, is very near to the district and the vicinity falls the area on the danger zone.
When contacted, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology’s Civil and Environmental department Prof Dr Jahir Bin Alam echoed the voice of Mostafa Shahriar, telling public awareness for the disaster could lessen the damages and Sylhet City Corporation authorities have taken initiatives for retrofitting 23 vulnerable buildings in the city, to turn them into earthquake resistant ones.
