More than a hundred people died then, most of them attending a wedding on a rooftop in that densely populated area of town. The speed, intensity, and extent of the fire was ascribed to the flammable chemicals stored in the building. If anything, the number of warehouses and the amount of chemicals have probably increased over the last nine years. The old town does not have streets wide enough for fire trucks to go through, a fact that has been painfully obvious every time there is a fire there. In fact, given that the fire service headquarters are located on the fringe of the old town, it is not a surprise either.

Source: Dhaka Tribune February 21, 2019 18:56 UTC