Mirpur wall collapse toll rises to 3

The death toll from the collapse of a boundary wall at Mirpur University College rose to three after another woman succumbed to her injuries while undergoing treatment on Tuesday night.

Meanwhile, the college authorities formed a seven-member committee to investigate the tragedy.

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The third victim, Beauty Begum, 50, died at the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation around 9:30pm, said Mohammad Hafizur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Mirpur Model Police Station.

Beauty hailed from Kalai upazila in Joypurhat and lived in a rented house near the spot.

A sombre atmosphere prevailed at Beauty’s house yesterday.

Her sister-in-law, Umme Kulsum, said the family had moved to Dhaka to escape poverty. Beauty’s husband began pulling a rickshaw, while their two daughters and a son joined a garment factory in Gazipur.

Kulsum said Beauty had gone to buy flour from a Trading Corporation of Bangladesh truck sale for the first time that day.

“Just when the family’s situation was gradually improving, this tragedy struck,” she added.

Earlier, two others died in the incident: cleaner Nasima Begum, 44, and rickshaw puller Md Firoz, 41.

At least five others injured in the incident were undergoing treatment at different hospitals.

Regarding the investigation, Munshi Bazlul Basit Anju, chairman of the college’s governing body, said a seven-member probe committee had been asked to submit its report within seven working days.

Additionally, a three-member committee headed by the vice-principal had been formed to contact the victims’ families and provide compensation, he said.

Bazlul said the boundary wall, initially built five feet high in 2002, was raised by another five feet in 2014.

Saiful Alam Nishan, an office assistant at the college, said a large portion of the wall, which had no pillars or beams, caved in.