Fire truck driver dies of heart attack, crashes into pedestrian
According to witnesses, on the way to douse a fire at an apparel factory, Jahangir Hossain of Hajiganj Fire Station had a heart attack around 11am and lost control of the steering
Three people, including a driver of the Fire Service and Civil Defence, were killed in an accident in Narayanganj when the driver of a fire fighting truck suffered a heart attack and crashed the vehicle into a pedestrian and an auto-rickshaw.
According to witnesses, on the way to douse a fire at an apparel factory, Jahangir Hossain of Hajiganj Fire Station had a heart attack around 11am and lost control of the steering. The truck then hit pedestrians, a bus and a battery-driven auto-rickshaw in front of the Chasara area's Santona Market.
The deceased are fire service driver Jahangir Hossain, 48, pedestrian Shahabuddin Shabu, 45, and auto-rickshaw driver Sirajul Islam, said Narayanganj Sadar Police Station Sub-inspector Hafizur Rahman.
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Jahangir and Shahabuddin died on the spot and severely injured Sirajul was taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital where he was pronounced dead on Monday evening.
"The fire truck hit Shahabuddin and his body got stuck under the wheel of a local bus of Ananda Paribahan. The police later recovered his body by cutting the wheel of the bus," said Hafizur Rahman.
The fire broke out around 10:30am at Fatullah's Fakir Apparel in Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation industrial area at about 11:30am. Ten firefighting units worked to douse the fire.
Seeking anonymity, a Fire Service official told TBS that some firefighters lack physical fitness due to overworking and hazardous living conditions.
"It would be better if we can get some amenities for health check-ups and food. Some places where fire fighters live are old buildings and risky. We fight all day long and night for people's safety but we have been neglected for so long," he added.
Fire Service and Civil Defence officials declined to make any comment on if the driver was physically unfit or sick.
Later on Monday evening, the fire service's media cell sent a press release to the media which said Fire Service Director General Brigadier General Md Main Uddin had already instructed all drivers of the fire service to have medical check-ups.
