39 of 46 victims identified, 33 bodies handed over to families

The bodies of 39 people, out of 46 killed in last night's fire at a building on the capital's Bailey Road, were identified this morning.

Thirty-three of the bodies were handed over to their respective family members from Dhaka Medical College Hospital and Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn & Plastic Surgery till 10:00am today, Mostafa Abdullah Al Noor, (Nezarat) Deputy Collector (NDC) in Dhaka, told The Daily Star.

Noor said a total of 45 deaths were confirmed till 10:00am. A little over an hour later, Health Minister Samanta Lal Sen put the death toll at 46. 

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Another victim dies, death toll now 45

According to Noor, among the six unidentified bodies, five were not claimed by anybody, and one was badly burnt, and DNA test woul be needed for identification.

"We have initiated the dead body handover process since 2:00am from DMCH and Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn & Plastic Surgery, and till 10:00am, we have already handed over 33 bodies to family members," he added.

Noor, who was one of the officials assigned to the help desk at DMCH following the blaze, said once family members identify the bodies, they are promptly handed over.

Photo: Star

He added that 10 critically injured people are undergoing treatment at the intensive care unit (ICU) at the burn institute.

At least 45 people, including 26 women and three children, were killed and 22 critically injured in the fire that broke out at the seven-storey Green Cozy Cottage Shopping Mall on Bailey Road in Dhaka last night.

Of the 39 victims identified, names of 25 victims have so far been disclosed.

The victims are: Fauzia Afrin Ria, 22, of Cumilla; Ataur Rahman Shamim, 63, of Moulvibazar; Popy Roy, 33, daughter of Prannath Roy of Dhaka; Sompurna Poddar, 11, daughter of Shipon Poddar; Ashraful Islam Asif, 25, of Brahmanbaria; Nazia Akhter, 31, of Dhaka; Arhan Mostafa Ahmed, 6, son of Ashik of Dhaka; Nurul Islam, 32, of Bangshal, Dhaka; Pompa Saha, 46, of Cumilla; Md Shanto Hossain, 23, of Narayanganj; Maisha Kabir Mahi, 21, of AGB Colony, Dhaka; Mehera Kabir Dola, 29, of AGB Colony, Dhaka; Md Jihad, 22, of Madaripur; Md Kamrul Hasan Habib Roki, 20, of Jashore; Jonnatin Tajri, 23, of Cumilla; Didarul Haque, 23, of Bhola; Mehedi Hasan, 27, of Tangail; Nusrat Jahan Shimu, 19, of Cumilla; Syeda Fatematuz Zohura, 16, of Moghbazar, Dhaka; Syed Abdullah, 8, son of Syed Mubarak of Moghbazar, Dhaka; Sopna Akhter, 40, Moghbazar, Dhaka; Jarin Tasnim Priyoti, 20, of Munshiganj; Syed Mobarak, 48, an expatriate, resident of Hatirjheel, Dhaka; Rubi Roy, 48, of Habiganj, and Priyanka Roy, 18, of Habiganj; Jewel, 30.

Around 75 people, including 42 in an unconscious state, were rescued from the building.

Firefighters brought the flames under control after two hours of frantic efforts, Brig Gen Main Uddin, director general of Fire Service and Civil Defence said earlier. The Green Cozy Cottage Shopping Mall houses shops and diners such as a Kachchi Bhai, a Samsung showroom, Gadget & Gear, Illiyeen, Khana's, and Pizza Inn.