A catastrophic fire broke out on Thursday night in a commercial building located in Baily Road, Dhaka, resulting in the tragic loss of at least 44 lives and leaving over 20 others severely injured. The building, known as Green Cozy Cottage, housed several restaurants and was a seven-storey structure.
Firefighting teams managed to rescue 70 individuals from the building, including 42 who were unconscious, from various floors and the rooftop.
Prominent figures such as Health Minister Dr Samanta Lal Sen, Dhaka-8 lawmaker AFM Bahauddin Nasim, and high-ranking officials from different law enforcement agencies were present at the site.
In a media briefing at 2am, Dr Sen reported that 33 bodies had been received at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, with an additional 10 at the Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery. The Inspector General of Police later confirmed another fatality at the Central Police Hospital.
IGP Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun held a press conference at 2.40am outside DMC, where he announced that the death toll had reached 44, with 75 individuals rescued. Some of the rescued were given first aid and were able to return home.
Most of the fatalities occurred due to individuals jumping off the building or from burns and suffocation, according to the firefighters who managed to control the fire around 12.30am. At this time, smoke was still emanating from the building.
The first fatality was reported around 1am when firefighters began moving bodies to a refrigerated truck parked outside the building.
The fire reportedly started around 9.45pm at a restaurant named “Kacchi Bhai” located on the first floor. Many patrons were dining in the restaurant when the fire spread to other floors.
Thirteen units of the Fire Service were deployed to control the blaze. Members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), General Ansar, and Ansar Guard Battalion (AGB) were also present at the site.
Fire officials stated that the rapid spread of the fire was due to the presence of gas cylinders in the restaurant kitchens on several floors. The smoke-filled staircase prevented people from exiting the building.
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