Sitakunda tragedy: modernising fire services

The Sitakunda fire, which has claimed around 50 lives so far and injured hundreds, is another tragedy for our nation. It is the latest in an ever-growing list of tragedies that put Bangladesh's appalling industrial safety record once again under the spotlight. Horrifying scenes of devastation have been reported both on the spot and at the hospitals. The challenge for the firefighters has been quite disheartening as they struggled to bring the fire under control. The Sitakunda tragedy has made us think about our firefighting services' modernisation, particularly when they deal with the blazes caused by inflammable chemicals.

Bangladesh is a country prone to natural disasters. We often face various kinds of fire accidents, as well. And it is the firemen who have to risk their lives trying to douse fires in extremely difficult conditions. The casualties of the fire could have been avoided to a great extent had our firefighters known about the contents of the containers and doused flames with foam instead of water.

We urge the government to properly investigate this tragedy and undertake necessary action to prevent its recurrence in all industrial settings. Whatever caused the fire and subsequent explosions, we hope that investigators will find out soon and that those responsible will be held accountable. Our population is growing every day amid intense urbanisation. So, this is an important time when we should focus on the fire safety of the nation. At the same time, there is a need to be strict against the violators of safety instructions. It is only then that a safe Bangladesh can be built.

Emran Emon,

Student of Department of English,

The University of Chittagong, Chattogram,

emoncolumnist@gmail.com