The Fire Service and Civil Defence has sent multiple teams to the site of the Chawkbazar fire to search for, and recover, anyone injured or killed in the fire.
The teams are also conducting a sweep of the area for any explosives or corrosive substances that could cause further damage.
Director General (DG) of the Fire Service and Civil Defence Brig Gen Ali Ahmed stated this at a press briefing held at Nanda Kumar Lane in Chawkbazar's Churihatta area of Old Dhaka, around 11:30am on Thursday.
Devastated to learn that 69 people, including three children were killed in the #ChawkbazarFire. Hope that the authorities will investigate thoroughly and crackdown hard if safety violations are discovered.
— Jack Greenberg (@jackwgreenberg) February 21, 2019
The DG confirmed that the fire—which spread through several multi-storey buildings at Nanda Kumar Lane in Chawkbazar’s Churihatta area of Old Dhaka, at 10:35pm on Wednesday—has finally been doused.
According to the Fire Service control room, 37 units from 31 stations worked to douse the blaze.
As of now, the bodies of 70 victims have been recovered. Of them, 67 bodies are being kept at the Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) morgue.
According to the DMCH registrar, a total of 56 people were treated at the hospital, of which, nine were admitted. Six people were also treated at Mitford Hospital, of whom two were admitted.
#Chawkbazarfire: Death toll rises to 70
— Sadia Iqbal (@SadiaIqbal_BN) February 21, 2019
Numerous people, including women & children, were also injured & admitted to nearby hospitals, including #Dhaka Medical College Hospital & Sir Salimullah Medical College Hospital (Mitford Hospital)#Bangladesh #Chawkbazar @MunaTasneem pic.twitter.com/CZjBqXRDOm
When asked about how vulnerable the buildings around the place where the fire initially broke out are, the DG said such matters are highly technical and need to be properly assessed.
"We will be able to elaborate when we have assessed everything," he said.
The DG further said the fire broke out after a grocery shop, in the heavily-congested Churihatta area of Old Dhaka, caught fire when a gas cylinder of a CNG-driven pickup truck exploded near the shop.
The fire later spread through the godowns nearby and engulfed the buildings at Nanda Kumar Lane, he said.
