4 killed in Shahjadpur fire due to smoke trapping amid roof closure

Four people tragically lost their lives in a devastating fire that broke out at a six-storey building in the city's Shahjadpur area today (3 March). 

The victims were unable to escape due to the heavy smoke, which was trapped by a locked roof, according to the Fire Service and Civil Defence.

Kazi Nazmuzzaman, assistant director of the Fire Service (Dhaka Zone), said, "The roof door was locked. As heavy smoke filled the building, residents fled upstairs to escape the fire. However, upon reaching the roof, they found the door closed, getting trapped. Tragically, four individuals died due to smoke inhalation."

The bodies of the deceased were handed over to the police, and two others were rescued with injuries. The fire was first reported at 12:17pm, said Talha bin Zasim, media officer of the Fire Service and Civil Defence.

Talha confirmed that all four victims were found on the sixth floor—one inside a bathroom and three at the bottom of a stairwell. The door to the stairwell was found locked.

Tragedy at room 402 

In a heartbreaking incident, Miron Jamaddar, 60, from Pirojpur, was among the victims.  He had checked into the hotel at 8am, accompanying his son Mubin, who was preparing to fly to Saudi Arabia the following evening. 

Miron, after having breakfast, returned to his room to rest, but a fire broke out while his son was outside. In a desperate phone call to his brother-in-law, Hiron Talukdar, Miron cried, "I see no way to survive. The smoke is everywhere, and I'm suffocating." 

The call ended abruptly. Firefighters later recovered Miron's body from room 402 on the third floor.

Hiron recalled, "I rushed downstairs after seeing the fire, only to find the hotel filled with smoke. That's when Miron called me." 

Kazi Nazmuzzaman explained, "We reached the scene within 10 minutes of the fire breaking out. The building was six-storey with a hardware store on the ground floor, a beauty parlor on the second, and residential hotel rooms on the upper floors. The fire and smoke were concentrated on the second floor."

He added, "We responded with four fire units, bringing the fire under control in about 30 minutes, but the thick smoke remained trapped inside."

The cause of the fire remains unknown. 

"We have not been able to contact anyone from the owner's authority. A committee will be formed to investigate and determine the cause of the fire," Nazmuzzaman said.

He also noted that the building was not constructed complying with Rajuk regulations. It lacked a fire safety plan and firefighting system. The stairs were narrow, and the windows adjacent to them were sealed with glass. If the windows had not been sealed, smoke could have escaped more easily.

The fire, which started on the first floor, rapidly spread to the upper floors, leading to the tragic loss of life, he added.