Mymensingh, September 14, 2026: A fire broke out in a building of Mymensingh Medical College (MMC) Hospital, triggering panic among patients and their relatives. Six people, including an unidentified child, were killed in a stampede as people rushed down the stairs in an attempt to escape the building.

The fire broke out at around 6:00 pm on Monday (September 14) in the upper section of the hospital’s newly constructed eight-storey building.

Five of the deceased have been identified as Hajera Begum, 50, Shahjahan, 40, Ramzan, 38, Jahanara, 50, and Kulsum, 35. The age and identity of the sixth victim, a child, could not be immediately confirmed by the authorities.

According to eyewitnesses and hospital sources, the fire broke out on the eighth floor in the evening, and smoke quickly spread throughout the building. This sparked panic among patients and their relatives in different wards. Fearing for their lives, people tried to rush downstairs through the narrow staircase at the same time, resulting in severe pushing and overcrowding.

At one point, several people slipped and fell, while others were trapped underneath the crowd. Six people, including the child, died at the scene after being crushed in the stampede.

Immediately after the incident, a total of 10 firefighting units from five fire stations in Mymensingh rushed to the hospital and began rescue operations. After the fire was brought under control through the efforts of the firefighters, the additional units were withdrawn. However, four units have been kept at the scene as a precaution to monitor the overall situation.

Regarding the cause of the fire, Purna Chandra Mutsuddi, Assistant Director of Mymensingh Fire Service, said the preliminary assessment suggests that the fire may have originated from overheating and an electrical short circuit in a board connected to machinery inside the lift control room of the new building.

He said the exact cause would be confirmed after a detailed investigation. He also noted that although the fire itself was not particularly intense, a large amount of smoke spread from the control room to different floors of the building, causing widespread panic among patients and the public.

Regarding the overall situation at the hospital, Deputy Director Zakiul Islam said the hospital’s medical wards were not damaged in the fire.

He added that an investigation has been initiated to determine whether there was any internal fault in the electrical connections and to establish the exact cause of the incident.