One on life support, 2 in ICU

One student remains on mechanical ventilation and two others are in the intensive care unit (ICU) following a fire at a madrasa in the Signboard area of Fatullah, Narayanganj, while 76 students have been discharged after receiving treatment at the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery.

A total of 94 students have so far been admitted to the hospital following the incident. Of them, 18 are still undergoing treatment, with one in critical condition and requiring mechanical ventilation for respiratory support.

Dr Sultan Mahmud Shikder, a resident physician at the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery, shared the latest update at around 2pm yesterday.

He said 76 of the 94 students had recovered sufficiently to be discharged, while the remaining 18 were still receiving treatment. Doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers were working round the clock to ensure the patients received the best possible care.

He added that four students had initially been admitted to the ICU. One of them was later transferred to a general ward after showing significant improvement. One patient remains on ventilator support, while two others are still in the ICU under close medical observation.

The fire broke out at Jamia Ashrafia Madrasa in Fatullah at around 1am on Monday. It originated in the library and office rooms on the second floor of the five-storey building, where around 250 students were staying at the time.

The fire quickly spread through the two rooms, covering an area of approximately 4,000 square feet.

Three units from Kanchpur Modern Fire Station and two from Shibu Market Modern Fire Station rushed to the scene and worked to bring the blaze under control.

The building's electricity supply was immediately disconnected after the fire broke out. As thick smoke spread through the building, several students suffered from suffocation while trying to escape through the stairways.

They were subsequently taken to the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery in Dhaka for treatment later that night.