Deadly Old Dhaka blast may have been 'accidental', says fire service chief

The explosion at the Café Queen building in Siddique Bazar left 17 people dead and three others missing

Brig Gen Md Main Uddin, director general of the fire service, believes the devastating explosion that ripped through the Café Queen building in Old Dhaka’s Siddique Bazar may have been accidental.

The final report on the incident will be submitted after further investigation, he said during his visit to the scene on Wednesday, a day after the blast that killed 17 people and left three others missing.

“Preliminary investigation suggests the blast might have been an accident. But further investigation is underway,” Main said.

The fire service DG had previously said that emergency workers were awaiting the nod from the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK) and Bangladesh Army to resume rescue efforts which were suspended on Tuesday night as the building was at risk of collapsing.

Meanwhile, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan and Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Khandker Golam Faruq also visited the scene on Wednesday.

The home minister did not speak to the media, but the police chief said efforts are underway to uncover the cause of the blast, although no evidence of explosives was found.

Emergency workers were joined by the dog squad to hunt for bodies under the debris, Faruq added.