Chinese FM extends condolences over Baily Road fire

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi today sent a message of condolence to his Bangladeshi counterpart Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud over the fire in Dhaka’s New Baily Road area that claimed 46 lives.

In a heartfelt reaction to the catastrophic fire, Wang Yi said he was shocked and saddened by the casualties that occurred last Thursday.

He expressed his deep condolences to the victims, extended his sincere sympathies to the families of the victims, and wished the injured a quick recovery.

At least 46 people were killed, and over 20 others sustained severe injuries by a devastating fire on Thursday night.

Firefighters rescued 70 people, including 42 in unconscious state, from the rooftop and different floors of the seven-storey Green Cozy Cottage.

The fire broke out at around 9:45pm.

Most of the people died as they jumped off the building or from burns or suffocation, said firefighters who brought the fire under control around 12:30am.

Fire officials say the blaze spread fast due to the presence of gas cylinders on several floors in the restaurant kitchens. People could not leave the building due to smoke in the staircase