Firefighters attacked over ‘delayed response’

Police have arrested two persons in a case filed over an attack on a firefighting vehicle of Fire Service and Civil Defence in Kaharol upazila of Dinajpur on Thursday night.

The arrestees are Md Zahangir Alam and Md Sohanur of Gornurpur village in the upazila, said Md Farukul Islam, officer-in-charge of Kaharol Police Station.

An official of Kaharol fire service filed the case.

A fire broke out at Arif Filling Station at Doshmile area on Dinajpur-Panchagarh Highway in the upazila around 8:10pm on Thursday night.

On information, firefighters from Dinajpur, Birganj and Kaharol went to the area to douse the blaze.

Abdul Khaled, in-charge of Kaharol fire service, said they received the call at 8:19pm.

When a water-laden truck arrived on the spot around 8:40pm after driving 12km amid heavy traffic, some 25-30 people, armed with iron rods and sharp weapons, attacked the truck alleging delayed response of the fire service and left two firefighters injured, said an official.

The injured firefighters -- inspector Rezaul Karim, 37, and driver Motaleb Hossain, 46, -- were later admitted to M Abdur Rahim Medical College Hospital for treatment.

The three units of firefighters doused the blaze within an hour.