63 students taken to hospital after fire at Bangladesh religious school

At least 63 students were hospitalised after a fire broke out at an Islamic religious school in Bangladesh's central Narayanganj district early on Tuesday, a fire official told Anadolu.

The blaze erupted on the second floor of a five-story building in Narayanganj, about 16 kilometres southeast of the capital Dhaka, said Abdullah Al Arefin, deputy assistant director of the Narayanganj Fire Service and Civil Defence.

Four firefighting units were dispatched and brought the blaze under control, he said, adding that most students escaped without burns, although several suffered from smoke inhalation.

The fire broke out in the library and offices of Jamiatul Ashrafia Madrasa, which has about 1,300 students, most of whom are boarders.

All 63 affected students were taken to the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery in Dhaka.

Four were admitted to the intensive care unit in critical condition, including one placed on life support, resident surgeon Sultan Mahmud Sikdar told local newspaper The Daily Star.

The doctor said none of the students had suffered burns, but all were experiencing respiratory problems believed to have been caused by smoke inhalation.

A preliminary assessment by the fire service indicated that an electrical short circuit may have sparked the blaze.

TRT World / Anadolu Agency — TRT World / Anadolu Agency

Photo: AP