Leading reasons behind deaths of too many

Leap Day, February 29, has been a day of traditions, folklore and superstitions ever since Leap Years were first introduced by Julius Caesar over 2000 years ago. The day is being celebrated with general enthusiasm in almost everywhere in Bangladesh as elsewhere in the globe since last a few decades. The day what could be an occasion of happiness for many, had ultimately become a lifelong nightmare for the entire country as some 46 people have already lost their lives from the deadly fire incident in the capital’s Bailey Road.

A total of 13 people who received injuries in the fire are fighting for their lives in the hospital beds.

Most of the victims who suffered injuries or lost their lives, in the initial stage, successfully managed to escape the devastating flame but they couldn’t survive as the respiratory system of most of them had been seriously damaged because of inhalations of hydrocarbon gas.

In such case, experts believe that if the fire safety measures could be followed effectively and the victims had any clear knowledge about how to survive in such circumstance, the number of deaths and injured would have been much lower.

What can be done to escape the trap

Faulty syatem: According to experts, if one sees fire inside a building, the first measure should be ranging the fire alarm and going out of the place. If he has already trapped in the place then he has to find a fire extinguisher and pull the fire alarm switch. The two should be located close to each other.

In case of Green Cozy Cottage Shopping Mall, such cautionary systems believed not to be installed as the authorities concerned confirmed that the building lacks proper fire survival measures.

So, if no such system is installed in a building or outlet, the person has to remember that hot air rises while cold air sinks. So, if there is smoke, he needs to stay low to the ground as this will reduce his exposure to the fire. And if visibility is low he has to keep his hand on the wall so that he does not lose his way. He has to crawl to the nearest exit or staircase and avoid elevator when there is a fire, no matter what floor he is on. Again according to redcross.org, while inhaling through smoke, get low and go under the smoke to the nearest exit and close the door behind.

But, the building has only one staircase which was not enough for too many people to get down immediately from the spot overcoming the initial shock. Moreover, there were no proper written guidelines for visitors about what to do in case of fire. This is a common scenario for every multi-sotribuilding in the capital.

The observation from Electronics Safety and Security Association

On Friday afternoon, a team from Electronics Safety and Security Association of Bangladesh (ESSAB) visited and examine the spot and shared some of their observations with the reporters.

Zakir Uddin Ahmed, General Secretary of ESSAB said that they found no trace of minimum system of fire alarming and fire safety in the building.

The access passage for every floor is very inadequate and narrow. Again, it is evident that the existing “fire security system” was of no use. As a result, the fire spread rapidly from the bottom to the top.

There was no emergency door. Even a gas cylinder was seen lying next to the stairs. Even the fire extinguishers that are available have not been used, he observed.

So, as there is no active fire security system people got confused and unimaginable death toll has been observed, the GS of the ESSAB said.

Simple rules could do great

Major (Rtd) AKM Shakil Newaz, Director of Safety Awareness Foundation also a former director of Operation and maintenance, Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defence, said that when people trapped inside a building, that caught on fire in its only exit, it difficult for anyone to remain calm and act sensibly.

But if they could, it would cause less deaths, he added.

He said the best measures for them would have be crawling soon after seen this smoke as this smoke could never come within 18 inches of the floor.

And they can quickly come out of the room keeping their mouth shut. One needs to understand that the substances present at the building are mostly made of plastic, rubber and glass. And burning these elements could produce Hydrocarbon like Aldehyde, carbon phosphate and benzene (mainly from rubber type products). And smoke containing these substances would never affect anyone who inhales through nose. But, inhalations through mouth is life-taking, he explained.

If the alarm rang on time and people could go to the rooftop of the building their chances of survival were significantly higher than it was on Thursday, he concluded.

At least 46 people 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.

Around 75 people were rescued from the building.

The fire broke out at a shop on the first floor of the seven-storied commercial building around 9pm on Thursday and soon engulfed other floors.

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.

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.

Later, Director General (DG) of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), additional IGP Khurshid Hossain said the fire started from a small shop on the ground floor of the seven-storey building on Bailey Road in the capital. Since there were a number of gas cylinders, they exploded and the fire rapidly spread throughout the building.