63 Students Suffer in Devastating Fire at Fatullah Madrasa, 4 in ICU

A fire broke out at Jamia Ashrafia Madrasa in the Signboard area of Fatullah in Narayanganj. Sixty three students fell sick from the smoke and were admitted to the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery. Four of them are in critical condition and are in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). The fire started at about 1:55 am after Monday night. Four units of the fire service worked to bring the fire under control. The students taken to the ICU are Yusuf (18), Khairul (22) and Jobayer (18).

The sick students are Naimul Islam (15), Tanvir (21), Yusuf (18), Naim (15), Jobayer (18), Hasnat (22), Abed (17), Ashraful (17), Labib (22), Hemayet (23), Abdullah (14), Moinul Islam (20), Mahatir (13), Abdul Aziz (18), Rashed (18), Enayet Ullah (17), Foyzullah (14), Bayezid (16), Yusuf (20), Aminullah (18), Nazmul (16), Miraj (18), Mahatir (13), Abdul Aziz (18), Moinul (20), Tanvir (18), Al Amin (17), Jubayer (17), Rakib (17), Ashik (17), Abdullah (13), Rifat Ullah (29), Lokman (27), Mohammad (21), Huzaifa (19), Ali Hasan (24), Siraj (25), Redwan (16), Tafsir (14), Rakibul (22), Ismail (21), Abdullah Sakil (15), Mahfuz (18), Abu Bakkar (21), Jubayer (17) and Rakib (17).

Sources at the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery said 48 people sick from smoke came to the hospital after the fire. Several more sick people came later. The number of students sick from smoke has now reached 63. Four of them are in critical condition.

Dr. Sultan Mahmud Sikder, a doctor at the institute, said four of the 63 admitted patients are in critical condition, so doctors moved them to the ICU. One of them is on a mechanical ventilator, which gives artificial breathing support. Citing the sick students, Dr. Sultan Mahmud Sikder said people think the fire started from an electrical short circuit in one part of the madrasa. Smoke then spread fast and caused panic among the students inside the building. They rushed to get out. The smoke has damaged the windpipes of several students.

Students who came to the hospital for treatment said there was a library on the second floor of the building. The fire burned the library down.

Mr. Abdullah Al Arefin, Deputy Assistant Director of Narayanganj Fire Service, said the fire station got the call at 1:55 am. Four units worked for half an hour and brought the fire under control at 2:30 am. The fire burned many books in the madrasa library and the office room. He said people first think the fire started from an electrical short circuit. About the sick students, he said the fire made a lot of smoke. Six students fell sick from the smoke during the night. Later in the morning, many more students were reported hurt, and they were taken to the hospital. Many are also in panic.