The basement of Haji Wahed Mansion – the first building to catch fire in Chawkbazar on Wednesday night – housed flammable material that could have fuelled greater explosions and sent the death toll soaring past even the Nimtoli tragedy. A morning raid led to the discovery of stockpiled chemicals – flammable dye, deodorants, and perfumes – in the basement of Haji Wahed Mansion. He said: “We found countless cans of body spray, deodorant, and lighter fluid in the buildings.”The fire service director warned that the tragedy – which has taken 67 lives – could have been much, much worse had the fire reached the basement warehouse. It is possible that they are in hiding.”The Dhaka Tribune discovered containers, sacks, and cartons stacked with cans of flammable material. He said: “Once these substances catch fire, they are more than capable of bringing down the house, and worse.”

Source: Dhaka Tribune February 22, 2019 17:37 UTC