Fire was seen breaking out in 3 spots simultaneously: Fire Service DG
Although authorities are yet to determine the extent of damage, officials believe that the flames destroyed many important documents of multiple ministries across the four floors
The fire at the Bangladesh Secretariat likely originated in three spots at once, said Fire Service and Civil Defence Director General Brig Gen Muhammad Jahed Kamal, while suspecting that an electrical short circuit could be the cause of the fire.
Talking to reporters outside the secretariat this morning (26 December), he said, "We have learned that flames were seen breaking out in three spots simultaneously. While this might indicate an electrical short circuit or sparking, we cannot confirm anything until a detailed investigation is completed."
"It's possible that the fire originated from interior decorations and spread through electrical lines. It's possible but we are not saying that is what happened here.
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"Preliminary investigation has not determined the exact cause yet. We will confirm after thorough checks on all floors," he said.
The first report about the fire breaking out in the secretariat's Building No 7 came at 1:52am. Several firefighting units reached the scene and started fighting the flames at 1:54am, Fire Service and Civil Defence media cell officer Talha Bin Jasim told The Business Standard.
As the fire's intensity grew, at least 19 units were dispatched there. The firefighters brought the flames under control at around 8:05am, Talha said later.
Building No 7 houses the ministries of finance, LGRD and cooperatives, youth and sports, post, telecommunication and information technology, labour and employment, and road transport and bridges, and different departments and divisions under them.
Talking to reporters outside the secretariat in the morning, Fire Service Director General (DG) Brig Gen Muhammad Jahed Kamal said more than 200 people worked together to douse the fire on four floors – six, seven, eight, and nine.
Although authorities are yet to determine the extent of damage, officials believe that the flames destroyed many important documents of multiple ministries across the four floors. No casualties have been reported yet.
The Fire Service DG confirmed that a firefighter from Tejgaon fire station was killed in the line of duty when he was run over by a truck on the road in front of the Osmani Memorial Auditorium, located on the opposite side of the secretariat.
Md Shoyanur Jaman Noyon, 24, was crossing the road to connect the water pipe with the pump when a truck hit him. Noyon was rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where on-duty doctors declared him dead on arrival. His body was kept at the mortuary.
