Probe body formed over United Hospital fire

The Fire Service and Civil Defence authority has formed a committee to investigate the fire at United Hospital in Gulshan, Dhaka that left five patients dead last night.

A four-member committee, headed by its Deputy Director Devashish Mandal, has been formed, duty officer at the control room of Fire Service and Civil Defence headquarters told The Daily Star.

The fire broke out around 9:30pm at the corona isolation ward, which was temporarily built at the hospital's compound.

Five patients--Riyajul Alam, 45, Khodeja Begum, 70. Varun Anthony Paul, 74, Md Monir Hossain, 75 and Md Mahabub, 50--who were admitted there, died in the fire, hospital authorities said in a statement.

The hospital authorities said the fire might have originated from a short circuit and quickly spread as it was windy.