Nimtoli Tragedy
Remove chemical warehouses
Urge victims' families, several orgs
A woman stands beside a family member and sheds tears over the graves of her loved ones at Azimpur Graveyard in the capital yesterday. Eleven members of her family were killed in the Nimtoli tragedy that struck the city two years back, taking at least 123 lives.Photo: STAR
With a call for raising awareness to prevent fire incidents, the second anniversary of the Nimtoli inferno was observed in the capital yesterday with the reminiscences of the devastating fire that killed at least 123 people, mostly women and children. Observing the day, family members of the victims of the inferno and several organisations reiterated their demands to immediately remove all warehouses of chemicals and inflammable substances from the city's residential areas. Bangladesh Society for Burn Injuries (BSBI) and Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) organised a press conference to mark the day as a 'Day for Raising Awareness about Fire.' They also demanded that the government nationally recognise this day in remembrance of the Nimtoli tragedy. Earlier, they brought out a procession from Central Shaheed Minar to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where the conference was held, to make people aware about fire accidents. Brig Gen (retd) Abu Nayeem Md Shahidullah, director general of Fire Service and Civil Defence, said around 15,000 fire incidents occurred in the country last year. Samanta Lal Sen, chief advisor of BSBI, said carelessness and lack of awareness about fire incidents are two common reasons behind the infernos. Around 80 per cent of such incidents could be reduced by raising public awareness, he added. Different organisations and personalities, including local Awami League lawmaker Mostafa Jalal Mohiuddin, paid their tributes to the inferno victims through placing wreaths at the memorial set up in Nimtoli. Special prayers and discussions were also held marking the day. On June 3, 2010, at least 123 people were killed and more than 200 others were injured in a fire at Nimtoli that originated from a stove in a building that housed a combustible chemical warehouse on its ground floor.
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