Baily Road fire originated from gas cylinder explosion: Rab DG

Gas cylinder explosion is the cause of the devastating fire at the Green Cozy Cottage on Dhaka's Bailey Road, said M Khurshid Hossain, director general of Rapid Action Battalion.

He said: "The fire originated from a shop on the ground floor of the building. Soon after the gas cylinder exploded in the shop, the fire engulfed other outlets."

"The firefighters rushed to the spot within a very short time but as the gas cylinder exploded, the fire couldn’t be brought under control," he added.

The Rab DG said this on Friday morning while visiting the victims at hospital.

He noted that the seven-storied building has only one staircase, most of the victims couldn’t get down in time and received burns while going out of the building.

"Using gas cylinder is very risky. Such incidents are frequently occurring at residential buildings as well. Everyone must be careful about the use of gas cylinder," he said.

He informed that apart from the Fire Service and Civil Defence, the fire incident us being investigated by CID department.

At least 45 people, including 26 women and three children, were killed and 22 others were critically injured in the fire that broke out at the seven-storey Green Cozy Cottage Shopping Mall on Bailey Road in Dhaka.

Of the deceased, 33 died at Dhaka Medical College Hospital and 10 in Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery.

Meanwhile, another man was brought dead to Central Police Hospital in Rajarbagh, said Inspector General Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun.

Around 75 people, including 42 in an unconscious state, were rescued from the building.

Earlier, 12 people were admitted with the DMCH and nine others at at Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery, confirmed by DMCH’s police outpost in-Charge Md Bachhu Miah.

The fire broke out at a branch of Kachchi Bhai restaurant on the first floor of a six-storey commercial building around 9pm on Thursday and soon engulfed other floors.

Twelve fire engines were working at the spot at the Green Cozy Cottage Shopping Mall.

The Green Cozy Cottage Shopping Mall also houses other shops and diners such as a Samsung showroom, Gadget & Gear, Illiyeen, Khana's, and Pizza's Inn.

DMP Commissioner Habibur Rahman and IGP Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun have reached the spot. IGP Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun were overseeing the firefighting activities.

Police also have joined firefighters.

Firefighters managed to bring the blaze under control around 1am.

The Fire Service Director General Brigadier General Md Main Uddin later said the building had just one shop while the rest of the outlets were all restaurants. Gas cylinders were littered throughout the building. Any one of them could have exploded and caused the fire.