Firefighter killed in accident while fighting Secretariat blaze

A firefighter lost his life after being hit by a truck while responding to a fire at Building 7 of the Bangladesh Secretariat in the capital early on Thursday.

The deceased was Md Sohanur Zaman Noyon, a Tejgaon station firefighter hailing from Mithapukur upazila of Rangpur. 

Fire Service and Civil Defence Director General Brigadier General Muhammad Jahed Kamal confirmed the details during a briefing at the scene.

Jahed said Sohanur was struck by a truck when he was crossing the road to connect the water pump lines. 

Critically injured, he was later pronounced dead by doctors at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, the fire service chief added.

Inspector Md Faruk, in charge of the police outpost at DMCH, said the firefighter’s body had been kept in the hospital morgue.

The funeral prayer for Sohanur will be held after Zuhr prayers at the Fire Service and Civil Defence headquarters, with the home affairs adviser expected to attend it. 

The fire service said it was alerted about the fire at 1:52am. Firefighters arrived at the scene at 1:54am, with 19 units working to bring the blaze under control.