2024 Dhaka Bailey Road fire

On the night of 29 February 2024, a fire broke out in a seven-storey shopping mall located in the New Bailey Road of Dhaka, Bangladesh, killing 46 people.

Background
Fires in Bangladesh are a common occurrence, with a dense population and new buildings which at times lack safety measures, causing many fires and explosions due to faulty gas cylinders, electrical wiring and air conditioners. A fire at a food processing plant in 2021 killed 54 people, at least 70 were killed in another fire in 2019, and a garment factory fire killed at least 117 people in 2012.

Fire


The fire started at 21:50 BST in the Kacchi Bhai biryani restaurant on the first floor of the Green Cozy Cottage Shopping Mall on Bailey Road and quickly spread to other floors, trapping dozens inside. The building mainly contained restaurants, along with some clothing and mobile phone shops. Fire officials said a gas leak or a problem with a stove could have caused the blaze. They stated that the fire spread rapidly due to the presence of gas cylinders in the kitchens of multiple restaurants in the building. Evacuation was also hindered due to smoke in the building's staircase.

A survivor recounted that he had entered a kitchen and broke a window to evacuate the building. A cashier and server he worked with had attempted to urge customers to leave. The fire killed the cashier and server.

Thirteen firefighting units were deployed to the site. Firefighters rescued 75 people from the building and used a crane to evacuate people from the upper level of the charred structure. The blaze was brought under control after two hours.

Casualties
At least 46 people were killed, at least 75 others were injured, and 42 were found unconscious. At least 22 people were treated for burns and described as in critical condition. Fire officials have stated that many of the deceased were due to injuries sustained in attempting to evacuate by jumping from the building, burns or suffocation.

Thirty-three bodies were brought to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital, ten to the Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery, and one person died at the police hospital. At least 41 bodies have been identified, while 38 have been claimed by relatives.

Investigation
The government ordered an inquiry into the incident. The exact cause of the fire is still under investigation, but officials suspect that the fire started after the explosion of a gas cylinder in the restaurant. Gas cylinders were reported to be on every floor of the building, as well as on staircases. The building did not have a fire exit.

Response
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed shock and sorrow over the disaster and ordered officials to provide swift treatment for the injured. Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, the secretary general for the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, blamed the government for the fire, claiming that it had occurred due to the lack of "rule of law" and the government's lack of accountability.