Fire
20 shops gutted in Sherpur market fire
Fifteen shops were gutted in a fire which broke out at Kushumhati market of Sherpur Sadar upazila early Sunday.
Jabed Hossain Tareq, deputy assistant director of Sherpur Fire Service, said the fire broke out at the market around 6am and spread soon.
Read: Seven fire incidents reported during 31st celebrations in Dhaka
On information, firemen rushed to the spot and brought the blaze under control after two hours of frantic effort.
Evidence of the fire originating from an electrical short circuit was found in primary investigation, said the official.
Read: Launch fire tragedy: 47 confirmed dead now, at least 58 still missing
Meanwhile, the affected shop owners claimed that the estimated loss caused by the fire could go up to Tk 1 crore.
Necessary action will be taken if the traders file a complaint in this regard, Jabed Hossain added.
Fire ravages Cape Town seat of South Africa's Parliament
Firefighters battled a major blaze at South Africa's Parliament complex on Sunday that sent a dark plume of smoke and flames into the air above the center of Cape Town and caused some ceilings of the building that houses the national legislature to collapse.
The fire started on the third floor of an old building that houses offices and spread to the National Assembly building, where South Africa's Parliament now sits, Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure Patricia de Lille said.
Read:After suicide bombing, Congo officials fear more attacks
“The fire is currently in the National Assembly chambers,” De Lille told reporters at the scene. “This is a very sad day for democracy for Parliament is the home of our democracy.”
City of Cape Town Fire and Rescue Service spokesman Jermaine Carelse said no injuries were reported. Parliament was closed for the holidays.
Security guards first reported the fire at around 6 a.m., Carelse said, and 35 firefighters were on the scene. Some of them were lifted into the Cape Town skyline on a crane to spray water on the blaze from above.
They were still fighting the fire more than six hours later.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was briefed on the fire, De Lille said, but it was too early to speculate on a cause. She said authorities were reviewing video camera footage.
The deputy minister of state security was also at the Parliament complex. Parliament speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula cautioned against speculation that it was a deliberate attack.
"Until such a time that a report has been furnished that there was arson, we have to be careful not to make suggestions that there was an attack,” she said.
President Ramaphosa and many of South Africa's high-ranking politicians were in Cape Town for the funeral service of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, which took place on Saturday at the city's St. George's Cathedral, about a block away from the Parliament precinct.
The precinct has three main sections, the original Parliament building completed in the late 1800s and two newer parts built in the 20th century.
The fire initially was concentrated at the old Parliament building, which is located behind the National Assembly, De Lille told reporters in front of the Parliament complex gates. During that briefing, she said firefighters “have the situation under control," but the fire spread soon after and tore through the current Parliament building.
Read:Suicide bomber attacks bar in eastern Congo, killing 6
Authorities feared that others parts of the buildings in the precinct might collapse because of the heat while historical artefacts inside were likely to be damaged or destroyed. The top part of the bright white National Assembly building had been burned black as smoke billowed out its roof.
“The bitumen on the roof is even melting, an indication of the intense heat. There have been reports of some walls showing cracks, which could indicate a collapse,” News24 website quoted Carelse as saying.
Police cordoned off the complex and closed roads. Some of the blocked-off areas were near where people had left flowers and other tributes to Tutu.
A huge wildfire on the slopes Cape Town's famed Table Mountain last year spread to buildings below and destroyed part of a historic library at the University of Cape Town.
Elderly woman burned to death in Keraniganj
A 72-year-old woman was burned to death in her house at Barishur village of South Keraniganj upazila on Friday.
The deceased was identified as Bishakha Rani Sarkar, wife of Babul Sarkar of West Barishur village in the upazila.
It is not clear yet how the fire broke out in the house.
Afzal Hossain, sub-inspector of Keraniganj Model Police Station, said local people found the charred body of Bishakha, mother of four children, at noon and informed police.
Police recovered the body and sent it to Mitford Hospital.
READ: 3 dead, 44 injured in India refinery fire
“The mentally retarded woman might have sent herself on fire on Friday. However, the reason behind the death will be known after getting the autopsy report, said Abu Salam, officer-in-charge of Keraniganj Model Police Station.
1 Bangladeshi injured in firing along Sylhet border
One Bangladeshi national was injured in a gunshot fired by an Indian national along the Kalairag border in Companiganj upazila in Sylhet on Friday.
READ: Border killings remain an irritant, FM Momen tells Shringla
Kalairag BGB camp commander Subedar Harunur Rashid said Sailen Kanda, 26, son of Dev Kanda of Kalairag village in the upazila was injured as an Indian national fired shots across the border at about 11 am on Friday from the Indian part of Kalairag 1253/3S pillar.
Rashid said Sailen was rescued and sent to Sylhet Osmani Hospital.READ: Deal with border killing as per international law: BNP
Seven fire incidents reported during 31st celebrations in Dhaka
As people went to have fun with families and friends with fireworks to mark the New Year, seven Incidents of fire were reported from different parts of capital Dhaka.
The fire incidents were caused by flying lanterns (fanus) and luckily there was no casualty in the fire incidents, sources at the Fire Service said.
Deputy Assistant Director (Media) of Fire Service headquarters Shahjahan Sikder said such fire incidents were reported from Dhaka's Mirpur, Mohammadpur, Khilgaon, Demra, Sutrapur, Lalbagh and Keraniganj areas.
READ: 3 dead, 44 injured in India refinery fire
He said a case of firework explosion occurred on the rooftop of a three-storey building in the city’s Matuwail area when the New Year revellers ignited lanterns around 12.15 am.
Two units of firefighters responded to the call and doused the fire at 1.38 am.
READ: Fire at Rangpur Medical College & Hospital under control; 5 hurt
Another fire incident happened when a firework detonated on the rooftop of a five-storey building at Dholaikhal around 12.40 am and firefighters put out the fire at about 1.29 am, the sources said.
In the early hours of Saturday, thousands of flying lanterns and fireworks were seen in the city sky. The New Year celebration across the city continued until late into night.
Launch tragedy: Probe committee gets 3 more days to submit report
The probe committee formed by the Shipping Ministry has been granted three more working days from Wednesday to finish its investigation into the unprecedented disaster witnessed in Jhalokathi last Friday morning, of a passenger launch filled to the brim going up in flames on a riverway.
On December 24, the Shipping Ministry formed the seven-member probe committee, asking it to submit its report within three working days. But the deadline was missed.
As per the appeal of the committee, three more working days have been granted, according to a notification issued by the ministry.
READ: HC seeks probe report on launch fire within 30 days
Joint secretary of the shipping ministry Tofayel Ahmed is the convener, while deputy secretary Aminur Rahman will act as its member secretary.
The confirmed death toll from Friday's deadly fire on the MV Abhijan-10 off the coast of Jhalakathi rose to 47 on Wednesday, with the recovery of two more bodies from the Sugandha River as Coast Guard members and firefighters continued searching the river for a sixth day in a row.
According to a list of the missing compiled by the Jhalakathi office of the Red Crescent Society, at least 58 people are still missing.
Meanwhile, an FIR was lodged at Jhalakathi police station on Monday night, following a complaint from the victims' side, accusing eight people, including launch co-owner Hamjalal Sheikh, for the tragedy.
Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested Hamjalal in connection with the deadly fire on board the MV Avijan-10. His arrest followed the Dhaka Marine Court’s warrants for the arrest of four owners and four staffers of the launch in a case filed by the department of shipping.
READ: Launch fire tragedy: 47 confirmed dead now, at least 58 still missing
The blaze broke out around 3am on Friday on the Barguna-bound launch carrying some 800 passengers from Dhaka and it engulfed the entire vessel within 10 minutes.
MV Avijan-10 owner, 24 others sued over Jhalakathi launch fire
A case has been filed with Barguna Chief Judicial Magistrate Court against the owner of MV Avijan-10 Hamjalal Sheikh and 24 others in connection with the deadly fire incident in the launch that left 41 people dead and many more injured.
Advocate Nazmul Islam Nasir, chairman of Baliatoli union parisahd of Barguna district, filed the case with the court on Sunday.
Barguna Chief Judicial Magistrate Mohammad Mahbub Alam accepted the case and asked the police station concerned to take the complaint as a ‘First Information Report (FIR)’, said administrative official of the court Akhter Hossain.
Saifur Rahman Sohag, a lawyer of the plaintiff, said it is clear that there was negligence from the part of the owner and staff of the launch and the court ordered the police station concerned to take the cases as an ‘FIR’.
Advocate Nazmul Islam Nasir, chairman of Baliatoli Union of Barguna district, said, “There was clear negligence from the part of the owner and staff of the launch that caused the fire, deaths and damages.”
He also demanded immediate arrest of the accused in the case.
Meanwhile, the search drive in the Sugandha River was going on for the 3rd consecutive day on Sunday for tracing those who went missing following a massive fire in the launch on Friday.
READ: Launch fire: Search operation in Sugandha going on
The divers from local fire service and Coast Guard resumed the search operation on Saturday morning and it is still continuing, said Khalulur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Sadar Police Station in Jhalakathi district.
“No new body was recovered from the river till the filing of this report around 11 am,” he said.
Besides, the control room, set up by the local administration, listed the names of 25 missing people with information given by their relatives and family members.
Earlier, the bodies of 23 people were buried in a mass graveyard following a namaz-e-janaza in Barguna on Saturday.
The bodies were buried at Potkakhali mass graveyard in Sadar upazila around 12 pm.
The blaze broke out at 3am on Friday on the Barguna-bound launch carrying some 800 passengers from Dhaka and it engulfed the entire vessel within 10 minutes.
READ: Jhalakathi launch fire: Death toll reaches 41
The death toll from the fire incident climbed to 41 on Saturday night. Besides, over 70 people suffered injuries and many of them are undergoing treatment at different hospitals.
Launch fire: Search operation in Sugandha going on
The search drive in the Sugandha River was going on for the 3rd consecutive day on Sunday for tracing those who went missing following a massive fire in a crowded launch near Jhalakathi in the early hours of Friday.
The divers from local fire service and Coast Guard resumed the search operation on Saturday morning and it is still continuing, said Khalulur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Sadar Police Station in Jhalakathi district.
“No new body was recovered from the river till the filing of this report around 11 am,” he said.
READ: Jhalakathi launch fire: Death toll reaches 41
Besides, the control room, set up by the local administration, listed the names of 25 missing people with information given by their relatives and family members.
Earlier, the bodies of 23 people were buried in a mass graveyard following a namaz-e-janaza in Barguna on Saturday.
The bodies were buried at Potkakhali mass graveyard in Sadar upazila around 12 pm.
The blaze broke out at 3am on Friday on the Barguna-bound launch carrying some 800 passengers from Dhaka and it engulfed the entire vessel within 10 minutes.
READ: Launch fire tragedy: Probe body visits spot
The death toll from the fire incident climbed to 41 on Saturday night. Besides, over 70 people suffered injuries and many of them are undergoing treatment at different hospitals.
Condition of 15 injured launch fire victims critical: Samanta Lal
The condition of 15 launch fire victims, who are undergoing treatment at the Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH), is critical.
Coordinator of the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery Dr Samanta Lal Sen disclosed it while talking to reports at the hospital on Saturday.
Some 21 people were taken to the burn unit of DMCH on Friday and 16 of them were admitted to the hospital where four others were given first aid.
Also read: Launch fire: Namaz-e-Janaza of 30 victims held in Barguna
The victims, who are undergoing treatment at the hospital are—Tamin Hasan, 8, suffered 30 percent burn injuries, Jesmine Akter, 35, (12%), Bachchu Mia, 51 (4%), Ishrat Zahan Sadia, 22 (20%), Shahinur Khatun, 45 (25%), Marufa, 48 (15%), Selim Reza, 45 (18%), Lamia, 13 (10%), Mamtaz, 70 (8%), Mohammad Russel, 38 (18%), Bankim Majumdar, 60 (12%), Monika Rani, 40 (30%), Golam Rabbi, 20, (9%), Bikash Majumdar, 16, Khadiza, 27 (15%) and Bashir, 35 (6%).
Of the victims, Habib Khan, 45, succumbed to his injuries on Friday night.
SM Ayub Hossain, resident surgeon of Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery, said Habib breathed his last at around 11:30 pm.
Also read: Jhalakathi launch fire: 33 bodies reach Barguna
At least 39 passengers were burned to death and 72 others injured after a massive fire broke out in the engine room of a launch in the middle of Sugandha River off the coast of Jhalakathi Sadar Upazila.
The blaze broke out at 3am on the Barguna-bound Avijan-10 launch carrying some 800 passengers from Dhaka and it engulfed the entire vessel within 10 minutes.
Launch fire: 23 unidentified bodies buried in Barguna mass graveyard
The bodies of 23 people, who were burned to death in a massive fire in a crowded launch near Jhalakathi on Friday, were buried in a mass graveyard in Barguna district on Saturday.
The bodies were buried at Potkakhali mass graveyard in Sadar upazila around 12 pm.
Earlier, a namaz-e-janaza of 30 launch fire victims was held at Barguna Circuit House at 11 am joined by several hundred people.
The local administration had taken preparations to bury the 30 unidentified deceased in the government graveyard but after the namaz-e-janaza seven of them were identified by their family members, said Barguna Deputy Commissioner Habibur Rahman .
The district administration authorities handed over the identified bodies to their respective families and buried 23 bodies in 21 graves .
Barguna Deputy Commissioner Habibur Rahman on Friday said they received 37 bodies on Friday night from Jhalakathi General Hospital and the bodies of seven people were handed over to the families of the victims on Saturday.
Of them, four bodies were handed over to their families in Barishal and Jhalakathi districts, he said adding three more bodies were identified at night and handed over to families from Barguna General Hospital morgue.
READ: 39 killed as fire rips through launch off Jhalokati coast
The authorities concerned have collected the DNA samples of the deceased. However, it is still not clear how many people are still missing, he said.
A control room has been opened to collect information of the missing people and the family members of the missing people have been asked to provide necessary assistance to the local administration.
“The identities of the missing people will be known within one or two days,” hoped the deputy commissioner.
Meanwhile, relatives and family members of the missing people have thronged the Sadar Hospital with the images of their near and dear ones to identify the bodies.
However, the local administration has kept the morgue open till 10 am to let the relatives of the victims to identify the bodies.
Meanwhile, UNB Jhalakathi correspondent reports the divers from local fire service and coast guard started a rescue operation around 9 am on Saturday in the Sugandha River.
At least 40 passengers were charred to death and 72 others injured after a massive fire broke out in the engine room of a launch in the middle of Sugandha River off the coast of Jhalakathi Sadar Upazila.
Two of the deceased, Taifa-7 and Labiba, 4, who were injured in the fire, died on their way to Dhaka on Friday, reports UNB Barishal correspondent after talking with the relatives of the two victims.
READ: Govt announces compensation for launch fire victims
Besides, another victim, who was undergoing treatment at Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital, succumbed to his injuries on Friday night, taking the total death toll to 40.
The blaze broke out at 3am on the Barguna-bound Avijan-10 launch carrying some 800 passengers from Dhaka and it engulfed the entire vessel within 10 minutes.
Earlier on Friday, the government announced Tk 1.5 lakh as compensation to the families of each victim who lost their lives in the deadly fire.
Expressing profound shock and sorrow at the loss of lives and injuries in the MV Avijan-10 launch fire, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday directed the authorities concerned to ensure quick treatment of the injured and hand over the bodies to their relatives promptly.
The government on Friday formed a seven-member committee to probe the launch fire.
The committee was asked to submit a report to the shipping ministry within three working days.