A lie that cost a life

A routine firefighting mission in Tongi's Sahara Market took a deadly turn, all because of false information.

What began as a seemingly manageable blaze at a chemical warehouse on Monday ended in tragedy, with a devastating explosion that killed firefighter Shamim Ahmed and left two others fighting for their lives with critical injuries.

Minutes after receiving information about the fire, Station Officer Shahin Alam of Tongi Fire Station rushed to the scene with 15 firefighters around 3:00pm to handle the situation.

Following protocol, Shahin inquired about the contents of the warehouse to determine the best approach for tackling the fire.

One of the warehouse owners, Solaiman, assured the firefighters that there was nothing hazardous inside, Shahin told The Daily Star.

Being assured that there were no highly flammable or explosive materials, the firefighters moved closer to assess the situation, ready to tackle the blaze with standard firefighting methods.

Then, without warning, disaster struck.

An explosion rocked the scene, sending shockwaves through the area. It occurred when Shamim, as part of the firefighting team, was spraying water on the fire.

The blast happened due to highly explosive substances inside the warehouse, said Shahin, who also got mildly injured in the incident.

However, the firefighters were unaware of the hazardous materials stored in the warehouse, he added.

During the explosion, Shamim was immediately engulfed in flames. He succumbed to his injuries around 3:00pm today at the National Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute.

Three other firefighters -- Nurul Huda, Jannatul Nayem, and Joy Hasan -- were also injured and are currently undergoing treatment. Nurul, with 100 percent burns, and Jannatul, with 42 percent, remain in critical condition in the ICU. Joy suffered 5 percent burns.

"Had we known there were explosive materials present, our response would have been different," Shahin told The Daily Star. "We would have brought stronger equipment, adjusted our strategy, and not approached so closely."

Shamim's brother-in-law Al Amin spoke to The Daily Star about Shamim's final moments.

Shamim reportedly told Al Amin, "This happened to me because of false information."

Al Amin expressed deep concern for Shamim's three young children and their uncertain future.

The tragedy has left Shamim's family in shock and grief.

Shamim had joined the fire service in 2004. The youngest of six brothers, he lived in Tongi with his wife and children. He hailed from Netrakona.

As of the filing of the report this evening, no case had been filed over the explosion and the death.

Oheduzzaman, officer-in-charge of Tongi East Police Station, said investigations are underway to determine whether the chemicals were stored legally.

A case may be filed soon over the death, he said.

Meanwhile, Md Saleh Uddin, deputy director of Dhaka Division Fire Service, issued a warning about ongoing hazards at the site.

"The warehouse is still hot, and smoke is occasionally visible. While the risk of reignition is low, the gases emitted are hazardous to human health," he told reporters at the spot this evening.

He advised the public to maintain a safe distance of at least 100 metres from the area.

Meanwhile, after Shamim's namaz-e-janaza at the Fire Service headquarters this evening, Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said a specialised doctor from Singapore was expected to arrive last night to oversee the treatment of the injured firefighters.