Wedding party among 110 killed as fire sweeps capital of Bangladesh

A FIRE in the old town of Dhaka, capital of Bangladesh, has killed 110 people — including 15 members of a wedding party — and injured more than 100.

The blaze started when an electrical transformer exploded just after a rainstorm swept the city.
The blast set fire to a shop storing inflammable chemicals, from where the flames quickly spread to at least six blocks of flats and about 15 shops, some packed with old newspapers sold for scrap.

The explosion plunged the Kayettuli area into darkness, making escape more difficult. Many are feared trapped in the rubble.

"There were screams, shouts for help and total chaos," said policeman Abul Kalam. Fire chief Abdus Salam said his crews were delayed because their vehicles could not fit through the narrow streets and there was no source of water nearby.

Firemen and residents carried victims to hospitals on three-wheeled rickshaws as relatives sobbed.
The city's medical college hospital was overwhelmed with victims. Burns unit chief Shamanta Lal Sen said it was the worst disaster he had seen in his 40-year career.

Businessman Mohammad Gulzar was serving drinks to dozens of guests who had just arrived in his small flat for his daughter's wedding reception when the blast happened. The guests tried to flee but the blaze had already covered the gate of the five-storey building.

At least 15 of his guests and family were trapped and died. "Why me, Allah? What wrong have I committed?" cried Mr Gulzar, 50, as he sat by rows of corpses covered with white shrouds on the road outside.
His daughter, Runa Aktar, survived because she was at a beauty salon to prepare for the ceremony.