Electric short circuit causes fire at FR tower: Probe body suspects

The separate government probe committees formed to investigate into the FR Tower fire incident in the city’s Banani area today suspected that the fire at the FR tower was originated from an electric short circuit from the 8th floor of the building, reports BSS.

“We initially suspect that the fire was originated from an electric short circuit from the 8th floor. And the high rise building lacked any safe fire exit. Even there was no fire alarm,” convener of a probe body Foyezur Rahman told journalists after holding a mass hearing on the incident.

There was only a narrow alternative way in the building through which emergency exit was impossible, he said, adding that no alarm was belled when the fire broke out.

A total of 24 survivors, security guards, office owners in the building and witnesses of the incident narrated their horrific experiences to the probe bodies, formed by the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief and Ministry of Home, at Police Control Room besides Banani Police Station.

Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief formed a nine-member probe committee headed by its Additional Secretary Foyezur Rahman while the Ministry of Home formed another seven-member committee headed by its Additional Secretary Tarun Kanti Sikder to unearth the reason behind the fire incident that killed 26 people and injured 70 others on Thursday.

Foyezur Rahman said his committee will submit the report by April 3 while the committee of Home Ministry was asked to submit report by seven working days.

Members of the both committees and representative from Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), Deputy Commissioner (DC) office, police and fire service were present on the hearing.