Businessman Dies After Being Burnt in Shop Fire in Tangail

A shop fire in the Kalihati upazila of Tangail has claimed the life of a businessman named Gofur Ali (60), who was burnt to death. The blaze also destroyed all the goods in the shop.

The incident occurred on Monday (1 December) afternoon at Kaguzipara Bazar in the Balla Union of the upazila.

The deceased, Gofur Ali, was the son of Habibur Rahman from Dattagram in the Kokdohra Union.

According to witnesses, the fire suddenly broke out in Gofur Ali’s shop in the afternoon and spread rapidly. He became trapped inside the shop. Once the fire was brought under control, his body was recovered from inside. Initial suspicion is that he died due to suffocation from smoke and intense heat. The fire destroyed all items in the shop.

Local trader Kamrul Islam and market committee president Md Fazlu Talukder stated that around 12:30 pm they noticed smoke coming out of Gofur’s oil shop and tried to extinguish the flames. Within moments the fire engulfed the shop, trapping Gofur inside. A unit from the Kalihati Fire Service arrived promptly after being notified and brought the fire under control within ten minutes. Gofur died after failing to escape from the shop.

Russel Mia, an officer from the Kalihati Fire Service Station, said that the shop owner was trapped inside and burnt to death. His body was recovered and handed over to the police. Goods worth around two to two and a half lakh taka were destroyed in the fire. No other shops were damaged. Initial assessment suggests an electrical short circuit may have caused the fire.

Khaborwala/SS