The deceased were identified as Golam Mostafa, 66, of Kachua in Chandpur district and a resident of Dakkhin Khan area of the city, Abdullah Al Mahmud, 48, and Kishore Chandra Roy, son of Badira Lal Roy of Birganj upazila in Dinajpur district.

Quamrul Islam, duty officer at the Fire Service and Control Room, said the fire started at the Corona unit (ICU) on the second floor of the new 10-storey DMCH building around 8.10 am and it soon spread to other portions.

Five firefighting units were pressed into service and the blaze was contained around 9 am, the officer said.

The three patients died while they were being shifted to another room from the ICU, said Inspector Bachchu Mia, in-charge of DMCH police outpost.

Also read: 5 killed in United Hospital fire

The other patients were safely evacuated from the ICU.

Police suspect the fire originated from an electrical short-circuit.

Brig Gen Md Nazmul Haque, director of the DMCH, said “The fire originated from the monitor of No 12 and No 13 bed of the ICU but everything will be known after getting the investigation report.”

There are 14 Covid-19 patients at the ICU, said the director.

Also read: 9 die in Kolkata highrise fire

“All the patients at the ICU were in critical condition. They were on ventilator support. After the fire broke out, they were quickly evacuated to the ICU of the old building and the HDU of the burn unit. During the evacuation, three patients died,” said Nazmul Haque.

Meanwhile, the Fire Service and Civil Defense Headquarters formed a four-member probe committee to investigate the fire incident.

While talking to reporters, Debashish Vardhan, deputy director at the Fire Service and Civil Defence, said: “The committee has to submit its report within 15 working days.”

Also read: Suhrawardy Hospital fire is a lesson for all: Health Minister

On May 27, 2020, a fire broke out at the coronavirus isolation unit of the United Hospital that killed four men and one woman.

A case was filed against the hospital authorities with Gulshan Police Station on charge of "death for negligence".