Modi sends condolences to Hasina over Bailey Road fire tragedy

The Indian prime minister also wishes the injured a speedy recovery

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed grief over the deaths of 46 victims in a building fire on Bailey Road in Dhaka in a letter to his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina.

He also wished the injured a swift recovery, the Indian High Commission in Dhaka shared on Facebook on Saturday.

The deadly blaze raced through the seven-storey Green Cozy Cottage, mostly housing restaurants, on Thursday. Authorities have since handed over the bodies of 43 victims to their families.

The first floor of the building housed a branch of the popular biryani shop Kacchi Bhai, the clothing brand Illiyeen, and several other establishments, including a Samsung showroom on the ground floor.

Next to the showroom was a coffee shop, with numerous fast-food outlets and restaurants peppered throughout the building.

Typically bustling on Thursday nights ahead of the weekend, the area was filled with small groups of friends and families gathered to enjoy meals and each other's company.

However, the atmosphere of joy turned into a nightmare.

It took the Fire Service two hours to subdue the blaze. Reports of fatalities soon began to emanate.

Police have arrested three restaurant operators and an official of the building’s constructor in a case over negligence. The charges against them include culpable homicide.