basundhara

Firefighters tell sad stories after shopping mall fire...

"I managed to escape but some of my colleagues were burnt to death. I heard one of my fellow's screaming but I could do nothing," an injured fire fighter said Saturday outside the Bangladesh's biggest shopping mall where a big fire broke out on Friday. The fire, which began on the 17th floor of the 19-storey shopping complex Bashundhara City in capital Dhaka Friday afternoon, lasted for eight hours before it was put out in the evening. The injured anonymous fire fighter told Xinhua early Saturday morning that he with other colleagues were helping to displace people caught up just at the 17th floor of the building on Friday afternoon along side working to stem outbreak of the flame. He is from the fire brigade of the Bashundhara Group, the owner of the posh shopping mall. "As the fire spread, we started to retreat. But suddenly I found my colleague, who was helping people move out the building, was trapped in a room," he said, adding that he could do nothing at the moment as roof debris were falling down and flames were blocking the way. Seven people including four fire fighters were killed in the fire and at least 18 others injured while two of them are still in critical condition. The anonymous fireman said the fire security system inside the building was not functioning well which caused more death.

Last Updated on Saturday, 14 March 2009 20:55