Fire at Secretariat: Firefighter dies after being hit by truck

A firefighter who was injured after being run over by a truck early Thursday while trying to put out the devastating fire at the Secretariat has passed away. He succumbed to his injuries at Dhaka Medical College Hospital a few hours after the accident.

The deceased firefighter was identified as Md Sohanur Zaman Noyon, the son of Akhtaruzzaman from Atponia village in Mithapukur, Rangpur. His primary station was the Bishwanath Fire Station in Sylhet, and he was temporarily attached to the Tejgaon Fire Station.

The confirmation was made by Talha Bin Jasim, the Acting Officer of the Fire Service Media Cell, in the morning.

Earlier, at around 3:15 am, Noyon was seriously injured when a speeding truck hit him while he was crossing the road with a water pipe over his shoulder. The truck fled the scene immediately after the incident.

Witnesses reported that the firefighter was in the process of arranging water supplies to fight the blaze. As he crossed the road with the pipe on his shoulder, the truck hit him from behind, knocking him to the ground. His helmet flew off, and he was left lying in the road, bleeding.

After the incident, the truck sped away in front of the Public Works Building, but students managed to stop the driver by setting up a barricade. The students detained the driver and handed him over to law enforcement. During this time, an angry crowd attempted to attack the driver, but military personnel intervened to restore order.

Earlier, at 1:52 am, the Fire Service received reports of the fire at Building No. 7 of the Secretariat. The Fire Service unit stationed at the Secretariat began efforts to control the fire at 1:54 am. As the intensity of the fire increased, 18 units were dispatched to the scene, followed by two more units to help bring the blaze under control.