Fire incidents claim 1023 lives in 5 yrs
Monday, 16 July 2007
Naim-Ul-Karim
Over 35,000 devastating fire incidents claimed 1023 lives, maimed thousands and destroyed properties worth Tk 10.0 billion during last five years in the country, sources said.
Besides, only during the last six months, over 200 people died in incidents of fire while property worth over Tk 4-5 billion burnt, they said.
Sources said over the last few years the number of fire incidents and related financial losses increased alarmingly as programmes to create mass awareness and the steps for strengthening capacity building of the fire fighters received poor attention of the authority concerned.
Besides, construction of multi-storied buildings by ignoring Fire Prevention and Extinguishing Act 2003 has been also responsible for the increasing trend of fire incidents.
However, according to information available with the Fire Service and Civil Defence Training Complex, over 9321 fire incidents took place in the country in 2006.
The complex had also recorded 7,135 fire incidents in 2005, 7,140 in 2004, and 6,289 in 2003 and 5,404 in 2002.
104 were killed in fire incidents in 2006, 54 in 2005, 752 in 2004, 38 in 2003 and 75 in 2002.
The fire incidents caused financial losses over Tk 2.38 billion in 2006, Tk 2.72 billion in 2005, Tk 2.13 billion in 2004, Tk 1.10 billion in 2003 and Tk 1.12 billion in 2002.
Of the incidents, sources said, more than 76 per cent fire originated from faulty electric connections, cooking oven, burning cigarette butts.
The country has now about 6,000 fire fighters for 140 million people while Dhaka has only 685 fire fighters under 13 stations, sources said.
Over 35,000 devastating fire incidents claimed 1023 lives, maimed thousands and destroyed properties worth Tk 10.0 billion during last five years in the country, sources said.
Besides, only during the last six months, over 200 people died in incidents of fire while property worth over Tk 4-5 billion burnt, they said.
Sources said over the last few years the number of fire incidents and related financial losses increased alarmingly as programmes to create mass awareness and the steps for strengthening capacity building of the fire fighters received poor attention of the authority concerned.
Besides, construction of multi-storied buildings by ignoring Fire Prevention and Extinguishing Act 2003 has been also responsible for the increasing trend of fire incidents.
However, according to information available with the Fire Service and Civil Defence Training Complex, over 9321 fire incidents took place in the country in 2006.
The complex had also recorded 7,135 fire incidents in 2005, 7,140 in 2004, and 6,289 in 2003 and 5,404 in 2002.
104 were killed in fire incidents in 2006, 54 in 2005, 752 in 2004, 38 in 2003 and 75 in 2002.
The fire incidents caused financial losses over Tk 2.38 billion in 2006, Tk 2.72 billion in 2005, Tk 2.13 billion in 2004, Tk 1.10 billion in 2003 and Tk 1.12 billion in 2002.
Of the incidents, sources said, more than 76 per cent fire originated from faulty electric connections, cooking oven, burning cigarette butts.
The country has now about 6,000 fire fighters for 140 million people while Dhaka has only 685 fire fighters under 13 stations, sources said.