Death toll in Nimtali fire rises to 113; Govt announces national mourning day .

Death toll in the Nimtali fire incident rose to 113 till this (Friday) noon with deaths of four more people at hospital. Four more burn-wounded people died at hospital this morning. The rescue operation was suspended at 5am. Meanwhile, the Government announced National Mourning Day tomorrow (Saturday) for the victims of Nimtali as well as Begunbari.

Official sources said 45 charred bodies were kept at Mitford Hospital morgue and 27 at Dhaka Medical College Hospital morgue. Besides, 14 bodies were handed over to their relatives from the spot while 23 bodies from DMCH, burnt unit.

Deputy Commissioner of Dhaka district Mohibul Haque told the newsmen at DMCH that bodies of the victims which were identified were handed over to their family members without postmortem.

He said 10 bodies at DMCH and eight at Mitford Hospital could not be identified as those were burnt badly.

Over 42 people were admitted to BMCH, burn unit, with burn injuries. Of them, condition of 10 was stated to be critical.

Duty doctor of Burn unit, DMCH, said none of the injured is out of risk.

Meanwhile, a three-member enquiry committee, headed by additional secretary of Home Ministry Iqbal Khan Chowdhury, was formed early Friday to investigate the incident. The committee was asked to submit its report within seven days.

The fire broke out in a chemical factory at 42 Nabab Katra, Nimtali, in the old Dhaka city following explosion of two electric transformers at about 9:20 pm on Thursday. The fire soon spread to four or five houses in the congested residential area.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina visited the burn injured people at Dhaka Medical College Hospital in the morning and cancelled all her today’s scheduled programmes.

She announced that the government will bear all treatment costs of the burn injured people and the victims will be rehabilitated.

Special prayers will be offered at mosques, temples and churches today seeking blessings for the departed souls.

Dhaka, June 4 (UNB) - Death toll in the Nimtali fire incident rose to 113 till this (Friday) noon with deaths of four more people at hospital.

Four more burn-wounded people died at hospital this morning. The rescue operation was suspended at 5am.

Meanwhile, the Government announced National Mourning Day tomorrow (Saturday) for the victims of Nimtali as well as Begunbari.

Official sources said 45 charred bodies were kept at Mitford Hospital morgue and 27 at Dhaka Medical College Hospital morgue.

Besides, 14 bodies were handed over to their relatives from the spot while 23 bodies from DMCH, burnt unit.

Deputy Commissioner of Dhaka district Mohibul Haque told the newsmen at DMCH that bodies of the victims which were identified were handed over to their family members without postmortem.

He said 10 bodies at DMCH and eight at Mitford Hospital could not be identified as those were burnt badly.

Over 42 people were admitted to BMCH, burn unit, with burn injuries. Of them, condition of 10 was stated to be critical.

Duty doctor of Burn unit, DMCH, said none of the injured is out of risk.

Meanwhile, a three-member enquiry committee, headed by additional secretary of Home Ministry Iqbal Khan Chowdhury, was formed early Friday to investigate the incident. The committee was asked to submit its report within seven days.

The fire broke out in a chemical factory at 42 Nabab Katra, Nimtali, in the old Dhaka city following explosion of two electric transformers at about 9:20 pm on Thursday. The fire soon spread to four or five houses in the congested residential area.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina visited the burn injured people at Dhaka Medical College Hospital in the morning and cancelled all her today’s scheduled programmes.

She announced that the government will bear all treatment costs of the burn injured people and the victims will be rehabilitated.

Special prayers will be offered at mosques, temples and churches today seeking blessings for the departed souls.

-UNB