United News of Bangladesh

Two people were killed in a fire that broke out at a shopping mall at Terirbazar in Chattogram city on Thursday morning. The deceased were identified as Mohammad Yunus, 52, from Badhupur area of Patiya Upazila, and Solaiman from Boalkhali Upazila. Both were workers at a tailoring shop on the fourth floor where the fire originated. The fire broke out on the fourth floor of the 12-storey KB Orchid Plaza around 9:30 am and engulfed several shops of the market, said Assistant Director of Fire Service Mohammad Abdul Mannan. On information, four firefighting units rushed to the spot and brought the fire under control around 11 am after nearly an hour of efforts. Several people were injured and taken to Chattogram General Hospital and Chittagong Medical College Hospital where doctors declared two people dead. The fire was confined to the fourth floor though upper floors suffered partial damage due to intense heat and smoke, said Abdul Mannan. At least seven shops, including tailoring and cloth outlets, were completely burnt while four more shops were partially damaged. Three people suffering from smoke inhalation were also hospitalised. Fire officials suspect that the blaze might have originated from an electrical short circuit. Witnesses said there had been no electricity in the area since early morning after sehri and the fire broke out shortly after power was restored around 9:30am. The building accommodates jewellery shops, bank branches, tailoring shops and other businesses. Fire Service officials said an investigation is underway to determine the exact cause of the fire and assess the total damage.