Earlier, Fire Service had said that at least 70 people were killed in the tragic fire
At least 67 people have been killed in the massive fire that ravaged through several multi-storey buildings at Nanda Kumar Lane in Chawkbazar’s Churihatta area of Old Dhaka Wednesday night, says the inspector general of police (IGP).
Although Fire Service officials earlier said the death toll was 70, IGP Md Javed Patwary on Thursday afternoon told reporters that the death toll currently stood at 67.
He made the comment while responding to queries from journalists after visiting the fire victims currently undergoing treatment at the burn unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH).
“As per the information provided by the hospital authority, there are 67 bodies at the moment in DMCH morgue. The death toll will remain 67 unless there are no bodies left under the debris,” Javed said.
Nine people were currently undergoing treatment at DMCH and three of them were in the Intensive Care Unit, he added.
Also Read- Chawkbazar fire: Death toll rises to 70
Many bodies have already been identified, however, he said, there are still challenges as it has become difficult to identify some bodies because of their charred and decomposed state.
The unidentified bodies will be handed over to families after DNA tests, said the police chief.
As of 4:50pm, he said, 39 bodies were identified and 12 of them handed over to families.
Responding to a query, he said the process to relocate the chemical factories to outside the capital from such Old Dhaka areas was ongoing with necessary pieces of land already allocated.
The relocation process requires support and coordination from many organizations including the city corporation, Department of Explosives, Department of Environment, he said.
“We will hold an inter-ministerial meeting soon to discuss how these factories can be relocated or what process shall be followed for that,” he added.
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