63 madrasa students fall ill from smoke in Narayanganj fire, one on life support

Sixty-three students have been admitted to the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery after a fire at a madrasa in the Signboard area of Fatullah, Narayanganj. Four of them have been taken to the intensive care unit in critical condition, and one is on life support.

The fire broke out at the 'Jamia Ashrafia' madrasa at around 2am on Monday night (9 November). Five units of the Fire Service brought the blaze under control after half an hour of effort.

According to the Fire Service and local sources, the fire suddenly started in the library and office rooms on the second floor of the five-storey madrasa building late on Monday night. Black smoke spread through the whole building within moments, causing panic among the residential students inside.

Many students fell ill as they breathed in the thick smoke. The Fire Service and local people later rescued the sick students and took them to hospital.

Sultan Mahmud Shikder, resident surgeon at the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery, told the media on Tuesday (10 November) morning that four of the 63 students who arrived at the hospital had been taken to the ICU in critical condition, and one of them had been put on life support.

Sultan Mahmud Shikder said none of the students had any burn marks on their bodies. All of them have developed airway problems, which are believed to have been caused by the smoke.

He said, however, that not all of them have damaged airways, and the hospital is considering discharging several of them, the resident surgeon added.

The Fire Service's preliminary assessment is that the fire at the madrasa may have started from an electrical short circuit.