Fire breaks out at Azimpur colony high-rise

The incident occurred at a high-rise in the Azimpur Government Colony, but no casualties were reported

Senior Correspondent
Published : 8 August 2022, 05:25 AM
Updated : 8 August 2022, 05:25 AM

A fire has been put out at a high-rise in Old Dhaka's Azimpur Government Colony.

The incident spread panic among residents, but no casualties were reported.

The fire broke out on the 17th floor of building No. 20 around 4:45 am on Monday, according to Khaleda Akhtar, a fire service official.

But residents managed to douse the flames before firefighters reached the scene.

According to Faisal, a resident of the colony, the fire was initially spotted by a man in the neighbouring building No. 6.

He immediately called the 999 emergency hotline to seek help.

Neighbours were awoken by the screams of the building's panic-stricken residents as word of the fire spread.

Tapas Chandra Debnath, a resident of building No. 6, said CCTV footage will be reviewed to determine the cause of the fire.

Fire service official Khaleda said a cigarette had been stubbed out on a piece of paper in the stairwell and that triggered the fire.

Residents claim most people use the building's lift as many households store junk items in the staircases. The congested stairways have raised concerns about exiting the buildings in case of an emergency.