Around one and a half months ago, Muna Sarkar and Ashiquzzaman Khan, both computer engineers by profession, tied the knot.

Before their wedding reception could be held, a devastating fire at chemical storage in the capital's Armanitola brought their lives to a near ending situation.

The duo was put on life support at Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery yesterday.

Muna's sibling Junaid Sarkar, who is also receiving treatment at a city hospital, said Ashiquzzaman was at his in-laws' house in Armanitola when the fire broke out.

Both Muna and Ashiquzzaman lost consciousness when the fire broke out on the ground floor of the six-storied Musa Mansion early Friday and left four people dead, 23 wounded.

Samanta Lal Sen, the coordinator of Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery, confirmed to The Daily Star that the duo was put on life support.

Two other persons, burnt in the incident, are also at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the hospital and they are in critical condition, the doctor said, adding that 16 more people were receiving treatment there.

The ground floor of Musa Mansion has around 18 chemical stores and storages while there are 15 apartments on the upper floors, with three apartments on each floor.

Contacted, Arif Hossain, general secretary of Bangladesh Chemical and Perfumery Merchants Association, said they wished to relocate their businesses as soon as they get a safer place from the government.

LOCAL'S RESENTMENT

Many residents of the old town showed their resentment for not relocating the warehouses from the area and demanded immediate relocation of all the chemical warehouses.

Runu Roy, one such resident, said, "Eighty percent of buildings in Armanitola have chemical warehouses, putting the whole area under huge risk."

He also said that he shifted his family members to a different area in 2010 after the Nimtoly fire.

Runu, the owner of a confectionery store in Armanitola, said chemical warehouses pay four to five times higher rent to the building owners for securing their places.

NO ARREST

Shahin Fakir, officer-in-charge of Bongshal Police Station, said a case was filed in this connection against eight named and 27 to 28 unnamed persons for their negligence.

Police also sealed the building, including chemical stores and storages, in presence of the DSCC and DC office executive magistrates. They also asked the residents of the building to vacate it within two hours, he added.

Keeping some samples for tests, the chemical substances were destroyed and police were trying to arrest the accused, he further said. 

FOUR-MEMBER PROBE COMMITTEE

A four-member probe committee was formed by the Fire Service and Civil Defence, headed by its deputy director (development) Noor Hasan, on Friday.

The committee was asked to submit its report by ten working days, Noor said, adding that they already started working and would visit the site on Monday.