Shawdesh Desk:

At least three people were killed and two others injured in a fire that broke out at Mohammadiya Plaza in the Riazuddin Bazar area under Kotwali police station in Chattogram early Friday.

The deceased are Ismail Hossain Iqbal, 18, son of Syed Hossain of Sonakania village under Satkania upazila, Chittagong, Md Shahadat Hossain Shahed, 18, son of Beta Mia, Kutubpara village of the same upazila, and Md Riduan, 35, son of Shamsul Alam of village West Katiadanga, also under Satkania.

Nur-e-Alam Ashik, in-charge of the Chattogram Medical College Hospital police outpost, said that all three victims were shop employees at the market.

Ashik said that around 5:30am, five people from the spot of the fire were brought to Chattogram Medical College Hospital in critical condition.

On-duty doctors declared three of them dead, while two injured were admitted to the hospital.

The injured are Merina Parvin, 35, wife of Mohammad Anisur Rahman of village Hanua under Monirampur upazia of Jashore, and their daughter Jannatul Akhter Hajera, nine.

The fire broke out around 1:30am and soon engulfed  the eight-storey building, which housed mobile accessory shops on the first four floors, and various offices, warehouses, and living spaces for bachelors on the upper four floors.

M Abdul Malek, assistant director of Fire Service and Civil Defence, said that they received the emergency call at 1:40am and rushed to the spot with eight fire service units from the port city’s Agrabad, Chandanpura, Lamarbazar, and Nandankanan stations.

However, the narrow lanes prevented fire trucks from accessing the market, complicating firefighting efforts. Firefighters resorted to spraying water from the main road outside the market, he added.

The flame was finally controlled after nearly four hours of effort around 5:30am.

Malek said that they primarily suspect the fire might have originated from an electric short circuit.

Mohammad Ali, senior station officer of the fire service, said that many buildings in the area do not comply with building codes, and lack essential fire safety tools and parking facilities.

Despite multiple warnings from the fire service, building owners have not addressed these critical issues.