25-year-old Bangladeshi dies in Spain garage fire

A 25-year-old Bangladeshi expatriate named Yousuf Hasan Alif has been killed in a fire in a garage in Madrid, Spain.

A fire erupted on Sunday evening in a garage located below a building in the Arganzuela district of Madrid, a predominantly Bangladeshi populated area. The garage was full of various storerooms and a large number of electric bicycles, which caused the fire to rage out quickly.

As per Emergencias Madrid, the emergency service got informed about the fire around 7:50 PM. In response, thirteen units of the fire service of Madrid City Council arrived at the spot. Dense smoke, high temperature, and the labyrinthine design of the garage made the rescue operations challenging.

After a strenuous effort, the firemen managed to enter the garage and bring out a 25-year-old man alive. But the man had been dead. The medical officers of SAMUR-Protección Civil confirmed the death of the man, citing indications of smoke inhalation and burning of his respiratory system.

According to the local Bangladeshis, the deceased was none other than Yousuf Hasan Alif, son of Abdul Motalib. His native village is Uttar Gaon in Kaliganj of Gazipur. He had come to Spain last year and recently applied for regularization. His work permit was issued only three days before his demise.

His last message, allegedly saying, “Brother, please save us. I can't breathe,” has deeply shocked the Bangladeshi community of Madrid. Many people have circulated his photo and his last message on social media platforms.

Later, the firefighters aired out the garage and took away the electric bicycles from the site to stop any further outbreak of fire.

The cause of the fire is yet to be determined. Policía Nacional has started investigating the case with the help of Policía Municipal de Madrid.

The identity and details of the victim are only based on information from local sources.

-AJM