Couple die in Gulshan flat fire

An elderly couple died from smoke inhalation and two of their domestic helps sustained burn injuries after a fire broke out at a flat in the capital's Gulshan early yesterday.

The dead are Obaidul Haque, 72, a retired chief engineer of Military Engineer Services, and his wife Jahanara Begum, 71, residents of a flat on Road-7 in Gulshan-1.

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The fire originated in their flat on the fourth floor of the building when they were sleeping around 2:45am, said BM Farman Ali, officer-in-charge of Gulshan Police Station.

They fell sick after smoke engulfed the flat. They were rushed to United Hospital where doctors declared them dead, he said.

The bodies were sent to Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital morgue for autopsy.

According to the morgue sources, the couple bore no marks of burn injuries and that they died due to smoke inhalation.

The only daughter of the duo lives in the United States, said Mukhtar Hossain, nephew of Obaidul, adding that the bodies would be buried after she reaches home.

The domestic helps -- Morzia and Dulu -- were sleeping at another room. They could not unlock the door as Obaidul had the key with him, he added. 

The domestic helps were admitted to Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery, he added.

Rakibul Hasan, duty officer of Fire Service Control Room, said two firefighting units rushed there and doused the fire.

"We are suspecting that the fire originated due to an electric short-circuit. We are investigating it," he said.