A couple was killed and three others, including their two children, sustained injuries in their respiratory tracts as their tin-shed dwelling house caught fire at Haji Zafar Saudagar Colony under Kotwali Police Station in Chattogram city Monday morning.
The deceased are Mohammad Elias, 52, an electrician by profession, and his wife Parvin Akhter, 45.
Their son Shahin, 21, daughter Sohan, 19, and relative Faisal, 35, who sustained injuries in their respiratory tracts are now undergoing treatment at the burn unit of Chattogram Medical College Hospital.
Fire Service and Civil Defence officials said that they received the news of the fire at about 6:45am and four firefighting units rushed to the spot and brought the fire under control within an hour.
They managed to douse the fire at about 8:00am.
Chattogram Fire Service and Civil Defence assistant director Abdul Malek said that they rescued the five from the bathroom, attached to their living room, in an unconscious state and rushed them to CMCH where doctors declared the couple dead.
He assumed that victims might have taken shelter in the bathroom after noticing the fire thinking that the presence of water would protect them.
They, however, became unconscious inhaling hot and thick smoke, he said.
He suspected that the house caught fire due to an electrical short circuit.聽
Officials at the burn unit of CMCH said that the three sustained injuries in their respiratory tracts by inhaling hot smoke.
