Fire
2 die as oil tanker catches fire at Chattogram port
At least two persons were charred to death and more than three others sustained burn injuries in a fire that broke out at an oil tanker on the Karnafuli river at Chattogram port on Thursday, officials said.
The deceased have been identified as the oil tanker's crew members -- Nizam Uddin, 40 and Ruhul Amin, 45. The three injured crew members -- Abu Sufian, Sahabuddin and Monir -- have been admitted to Chittagong Medical College and Hospital.
According to local sources, the fire broke out at the engine room of inland oil tanker MT Iravati at the Super Petro Chemical Jetty of the port around 7am.
A number of firefighting units from the Bangladesh Fire Service and the Navy were soon pressed into service and it took them a good four hours to contain the blaze, officials said,
Newton Das, deputy assistant director of Chattogram Fire Service and Civil Defence told UNB that an electrical short-circuit at the engine room of the vessel might have triggered the devastating fire.
Also read: Gas cylinder blast in Sylhet: Injured woman dies at DMCH
Shilbot Barua, an assistant sub-inspector of police posted at Chittagong Medical College and Hospital, said that the condition of two of the injured -- Monir and Shahabuddin -- is critical.
Also read: 2 killed, 10 injured in Bhola gas cylinder blast
A probe has been ordered into the fire accident, officials said.
Chemical warehouses: Old Dhakaites still living with ticking time bombs
In Old Dhaka, known for its food, centuries-old buildings and narrow alleys, people are living with “bombs” in the form of hundreds of chemical warehouses that pepper this historic neighbourhood.
Fires at such godowns, which lack safety measures, have killed scores over the years. Eleven years after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina ordered the relocation of the warehouses following the death of about 100 people in Nimtoli fire, they are yet to be shifted largely because of vehement opposition by traders.
Another 78 lives were lost in the infamous Chawkbazar fire but the tragic deaths did not bring about any change.
Also read: Armanitola chemical warehouse fire: 2 owners held
After the latest fire incident that started at a chemical storehouse on April 23 at Armanitola killing four people, the government is now saying that these godowns will be relocated permanently to Munshiganj within 2022.
Industries Secretary KM Ali Azam told UNB that preparing a 308-acre plot for relocation is going on in Munshiganj. About 2,000 warehouses can be set up there.
For now, 53 warehouses will be shifted to Tongi temporarily – seven of them have already been relocated. Another 54 will be moved to Shyampur – 19 have already been shifted and the rest will be relocated within three months, the secretary said.
Asked about such storehouses in Dhaka, he said available information put the number at around 2,000. “We can relocate them permanently to Munshiganj within 2022,” Secretary Azam said.
Read BSEC moves to set up chemical warehouse at Tongi
Relocation ‘Very Soon’
A committee, headed by the Cabinet, secretary supervises the relocation of chemical warehouses and all aspects of this trade, he said. The committee has representatives from Rajuk, Industries Ministry, Home Ministry and other related ministries.
This committee also oversees licences for the traders.
Dhaka South City Corporation’s Chief Executive Officer and newly-appointed Rajuk Chairman ABM Aminullah Noori told UNB that the Industries Ministry had undertaken two projects to relocate the chemical warehouses from Old Dhaka. The projects are in Munshiganj and Tongi.
The one in Tongi is expected to be completed within this year. “Once they’re ready, all the chemical warehouses will be moved out of Old Dhaka,” he said.
Also read: Fire guts 3 Keraniganj chemical warehouses, 10 hurt
He, however, did not give a timeframe for completion of the projects. “We’re optimistic about relocating them very soon,” he said.
Aminullah said the unplanned warehouses of Old Dhaka are a long-time issue.
“It can’t be resolved without the cooperation of local traders and residents. Moving the warehouses took time because of the local traders’ opposition,” he said, adding that the government is continuing its efforts and is optimistic that godowns will be relocated soon.
Read Armanitola building fire: One more victim dies
Ticking Time Bombs
Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP) General Secretary Dr Adil Mohammad Khan said: “The people in Old Dhaka are living on a bomb. The warehouses were not moved even 11 years after the Nimtoli tragedy.”
He said such incidents will recur if the government does not take strong steps to protect the people’s lives and properties.
“The chemicals stored in Old Dhaka and other areas pose a constant threat of deadly explosions. Necessary steps should be taken after finding out the reasons why the warehouses were not relocated even after the Nimtoli and Churihatta incidents,” he said adding that exemplary punishment should be meted out.
Also read: BSEC moves to set up chemical warehouse at Tongi
Adil lauded the city corporations for not issuing trade licences for chemical warehouses after the Nimtoli and Churihatta incidents. “The authorities concerned haven’t been able to successfully monitor the chemical warehouse and factories,” he said.
Making Everyone Accountable
BIP said that most of the chemical factories and warehouses in Old Dhaka were not constructed following building code and standard. “People are residing in the same building housing warehouses, a dangerous practice that has been going on for years,” he said.
These warehouses were constructed out of greed, violating the rules. “Their existence has put a big question mark on our pledges to build a modern and livable city,” he said.
Read Fire at Old Dhaka plastic factory brought under control
Backtracking from an earlier decision to relocate chemical warehouses to multi-storey buildings in Keraniganj BSCIC Industrial Estate facing opposition from traders was delaying the relocation. The government decided to shift warehouses by building a plot-based industrial estate.
Many house owners in Old Dhaka are illegally renting out their buildings to be used as chemical factories and warehouses to earn extra bucks. They themselves are living in other areas, leaving their tenants in danger.
“This practice will continue until the house owners are brought under the law. Traders of illegal chemical factories and warehouses should be brought to book,” he said. “And, actions should be taken against the government officials concerned if they’ve neglected their work (in this regard).”
Also read: Fire at Benapole port chemical warehouse
Armanitola chemical warehouse fire: 2 owners held
Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) Monday arrested two chemical warehouse owners from Bagura and Dhaka city in connection with a case filed over the blaze in old Dhaka's Armanitola Friday.
The arrestees are the owners of the warehouse from which the fire broke out and left five people dead.
Mostafizur Rahman, owner of Moin and Brothers, and Mohammad Mostafa, owner of RS Enterprise, illegally stored flammable items and chemicals, Rab spokesperson Assistant Superintendent of Police Imran Khan said.
Also read: Armanitola building fire: One more victim dies
A special team comprising Rab intelligence and Rab-10 Battalion conducted a drive at Nandigram of Bagura at around 4am and arrested Mustafizur.
Another team of the elite force carried out a raid in the city's Uttara-10 at around 5am and arrested Mustafa.
During preliminary interrogation, both the arrestees said they had been storing chemicals in their warehouses but did not have legal permission to do so.
The fire broke out at a chemical storage facility on the ground floor of the six-storey Haji Musa Mansion early Friday, left five people dead and at least 35 wounded. It took 19 firefighters nearly three hours to douse the flames.
The case over Friday's fire was filed with Bangshal Police Station on the night of the incident.
Also read: 4 killed, 35 injured in Armanitola building fire
Illegal chemical warehouses, unplanned building construction, narrow alleys and having so many people squeezed into too little space make old Dhaka highly vulnerable to fire hazards.
In February 2019, a devastating fire at Wahed Mansion in Chawkbazar's Churihatta took away 71 lives; in June 2010, the Nimtoli blaze claimed 124 lives.
Armanitola building fire: One more victim dies
The death toll from the massive fire that broke out at a building in Armanitola area of Old Dhaka in the early hours of Friday, climbed to five as another victim succumbed to burn injuries on Sunday.
The deceased was identified as Shafayet, 28.
Dr Partha Shankar Paal, resident medical officer of Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn And Plastic Surgery, said Shafayet, who has been kept on life support, breathed his last around 8:30 am.
Four victims are now undergoing at the ICU of the hospital while the others are being treated at Post Operative Ward, he said.
Also read: 4 killed, 35 injured in Armanitola building fire
Earlier, four people were killed and 35 others sustained burn injuries after a massive fire broke out at the six-storey building in the Armanitola area of Old Dhaka early Friday.
Officials said the fire broke out at Hazi Musa Mansion in Armanitola and soon spread to other portions of the building. And it took 19 fire tenders nearly three hours to douse the flames.
Initially, two bodies were recovered by the firefighters but later two more were pulled out from a small room near the stairs of the building, officials said.
Lawachhara forest fire under control after 2 hours
A fierce fire that broke out at Lawachhara reserve forest on Saturday afternoon has been brought under control .
It was brought under control by a unit of Fire Service at 2:30 pm after over two hours of hectic efforts.
According to locals, some workers who were working in the student dormitory area of Lawachhara saw a fire in the forest at around 12:15 pm.
Upon receiving the news, a unit of Kamalganj Fire Service came to the spot, but faced a huge challenge to enter into the forest as there were no roads.
Lack of water in the area made the work much difficult for the fire service unit.
However, the fire was doused after more than two hours.
Rezaul Karim, a divisional forest official, said the source of the fire could not be known immediately.
Farukul Islam, in- charge of Kamalganj fire service said that some small trees and plants were burnt into ashes. The extent of loss could go up to Tk 1 lakh, he said.
Shahidul Islam, a range officer in Lawachhara , said they are investigation the cause of the fire incident.
Jerusalem tension triggers Gaza-Israel fire exchange
Tensions in Jerusalem sparked the worst round of cross-border violence between Israel and the Gaza Strip in months on Saturday, with Palestinian militants firing at least 30 rockets and Israel striking back at targets operated by Gaza’s Hamas rulers.
Skirmishes have spiked in recent days in Jerusalem, which has long been a flashpoint in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and is home to holy sites sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims. Residents braced for possible further unrest as police stepped up security and the U.S. Embassy appealed for calm.
On Friday, Israeli police said 44 people were arrested and 20 officers were wounded in a night of chaos in Jerusalem, where security forces separately clashed with Palestinians angry about Ramadan restrictions and Jewish extremists who held an anti-Arab march nearby.
The incidents in Jerusalem triggered a flare-up in Gaza. Hamas’ armed wing warned Israel “not to test” its patience and militants in the Palestinian enclave started firing rockets into southern Israel late Friday and continued through Saturday morning.
The Israeli military said its aircraft and tanks struck rocket launchers and unspecified underground infrastructure for Hamas. The militant group did not claim responsibility for the rocket attacks, but a small military formation affiliated with the leftist Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine said it fired some of the missiles.
Sirens warning of incoming rockets from Gaza kept blaring in southern Israel. Air defenses intercepted some of the rockets. There were no reports of injuries on either side.
At dawn, hundreds of people in Gaza challenged nightly curfews imposed by Hamas to curb the coronavirus outbreak and took to the streets in an act of solidarity with fellow Palestinians in Jerusalem, burning tires.
There were concerns the violence could reignite following Friday noon prayers at a major holy site in Jerusalem, but thousands of worshippers dispersed peacefully after Muslim religious leaders called for restraint.
Also read: Palestinians torn as Israel seeks Gulf tourists in Jerusalem
But in the evening, dozens of Palestinians marched toward an entrance to the walled Old City of Jerusalem and clashed with Israeli police, which said the protesters had thrown stones and other items at officers. Six Palestinians were injured with two hospitalized.
Palestinians have clashed with Israeli police on a nightly basis since the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The tensions began when police placed barricades outside the Old City’s Damascus Gate, where Muslims traditionally gather to enjoy the evening after the daytime fast.
The clashes intensified Thursday evening when hundreds of Palestinians hurled stones and bottles at police, who fired a water cannon and stun grenades to disperse them. Dozens of Palestinians were wounded in the melee.
At the same time, a far-right Jewish group known as Lahava led a march of hundreds of protesters chanting “Arabs get out!” toward the Damascus Gate. The show of force came in response to videos circulated on TikTok showing Palestinians slapping religious Jews at random. Other videos made in response to them appear to show Jews assaulting Arabs. After keeping them a few hundred yards away from Damascus Gate, Police used water cannon, stun grenades and mounted police to push far-right protesters back toward mostly Jewish west Jerusalem.
The Palestinians want east Jerusalem to be the capital of their future state. Its fate has been one of the most divisive issues in the peace process, which ground to a halt more than a decade ago.
Early Saturday, Jordan strongly condemned “the racist attacks on Palestinians.” Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi tweeted: “As the occupying power under international law, Israel is responsible for stopping these attacks & for the dangerous consequences of failing to do so.”
The U.S. Embassy said it was “deeply concerned” about the violence in recent days. “We hope all responsible voices will promote an end to incitement, a return to calm, and respect for the safety and dignity of everyone in Jerusalem,” it said in a statement.
Tens of thousands of Palestinians attended weekly prayers at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem’s Old City on Friday. The site is the third holiest in Islam and the holiest for Jews, who refer to it as the Temple Mount.
Also read Israel advances plans in sensitive east Jerusalem settlement
Sheikh Muhammad Hussein, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, condemned the “police and settlers’ attack on Palestinians in Jerusalem” in his sermon. But he called on worshippers to remain calm and not to give the other side an excuse to storm the compound. They dispersed peacefully after prayers and there were no immediate reports of unrest.
The sprawling hilltop compound has seen clashes on a number of occasions over the years and was the epicenter of the 2000 Palestinian intifada, or uprising.
Hamas meanwhile staged demonstrations across Gaza after Friday prayers, reiterating its support for armed struggle. “After a long series of protests and demonstrations, we have reached the conclusion that without weapons, we cannot liberate our land, protect our holy sites, bringing back our people to their land or maintain our dignity,” senior Hamas official Mahmoud Zahar said.
11 burnt in Narayanganj gas leak explosion
At least 11 people, including a three-month-old, have sustained burn injuries following a gas leak explosion at a building in Narayanganj's Fatullah.
The explosion occurred in a flat on the third floor of the three-storey building in the Paschim Talla area in the early hours of the day as gas leaked from the stove.
On information, three units of fire service rushed to the scene, doused the flames and sent the injured to the hospital after rescuing them.
Abdullah Al Arefin, deputy director of Narayanganj Fire Service and Civil Defence, said: "Some apparel workers live with their families on the third floor of the building. One of the families forgot to turn off the stove at night, and it caused the rooms to be filled with gas as all windows and doors were closed.
Also read: Narayanganj fire victim dies at DMCH
"The explosion happened as someone tried to light a stove in the morning," he added.
The injured were identified as Habibur Rahman (50), Limon (20), Shathi (20), Mim (20), Mahira (three-month-old), Aleya (50), Sonahar (40), Shanti (32), Samiul (20), and Monowara (22). Another victim remained unidentified.
Five of the injured including the three-month-old were sent to Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery for their critical conditions; others were admitted to a local hospital.
4 killed, 35 injured in Armanitola building fire
At least four people were killed and 35 others sustained burn injuries after a massive fire broke out at a building in the Armanitola area of Old Dhaka in the early hours of Friday.
Officials said the fire started at the ground floor of the six-storey Hazi Musa Mansion in Armanitola at 3.17 am and soon spread to other portions of the building. And it took 19 fire tenders nearly three hours to douse the flames.
Initially two bodies were recovered by the firefighters but later two more were pulled out from a small room near the stairs of the building, officials said.
One of the deceased has been identified as Suraiya Akhter, 22, a student of Eden Mohila College, while the identities of the three others, including a security guard of the building, are yet to be established.
Among the injured are three fire fighters, who have been admitted to Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery, said Rasel Sikdar, duty officer of Fire Service and Civil Defence control room.
Also read:Kalyanpur slum fire under control
200 shanties gutted in Uttara slum fire
At least 200 shanties were gutted in a fire at a slum in the city's Ranavola area of Uttara sector-10 on Wednesday .
Sources at the Fire Service and Civil Defence control room said the fire originated at the slum known as ‘Mustafa member balurmath basti’ around 12:20 pm and gutted the shanties.
Also read:Dhaka Division saw 2,088 residential fires last year
Five firefighting units rushed to the spot and brought the fire under control at around 1:35pm, said duty officer Lima Khanom.
The fire was doused at around 2:45 pm.
The fire originated from a kitchen of a shanty and then it spread quickly.
However, the extent of damages caused by the fire could not be ascertained immediately and no casualty was reported, she added.
Teen worker dies in Bagerhat bakery fire
A teen worker was burnt to death as a fire broke out in a bakery factory on Saturday night.
The deceased worker was identified as Ajim Sheikh, son of Emdad Sheikh from Kondla village in Sadar Upazila.
The fire broke out around 10pm on Saturday at Sumon Bakery Factory in the city's Kachua Potti area.
Also read: 3 Rohingyas killed in Ukhiya fire
A fellow worker from the bakery, Rubel, said after having dinner Ajim went to the second floor of the factory for sleeping as others left.
Later they got to know about the fire and his death, he said.
Ajim’s mother said they sent their son to work in that factory three years ago due to poverty.
Also read: 10 Covid patients die in India hospital fire
Deputy-assistant director of Bagerhat fire service and civil defense Golam Sarowar said, a short circuit in the motor beside timber storage room on the second floor has caused the fire.
The fire may have caused Tk 2-3 lakhs worth loss to the owner, he said.
Additional superintendent of Bagerhat, Md Shafin Ahmed, said with the help of locals fire service staff contained the blaze after two hours of effort.
Also read: Rohingya camp fire: Death toll climbs to 11
The dead body was recovered after the fire was doused and sent for an autopsy, said the superintendent of police.