At least 52 people were killed and over 50 others injured in a massive fire that broke out at a six-storey juice factory outside Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka, according to media reports on Friday.
The fire broke out at around 5pm on Thursday at the Shezan juice factory in Naryanganj’s Rupganj, according to fire officials.
It is suspected that the fire originated from the ground floor of the building and spread quickly due to the presence of chemicals and plastic bottles. Fifty-two people have died and over 50 others were injured in the fire, the Dhaka Tribune reported.
Several workers jumped off the building to escape the devastating fire, it said. Eighteen firefighting units were struggling to douse the fire at the factory building of Hashem Foods Limited.
People gathered in front of the building in search of their loved ones who are still missing. Of the many missing, the identities of 44 missing workers have been confirmed, the newspaper said. Rescued workers and relatives alleged that the front gate and only exit of the factory remained locked at the time of the fire. They also claimed that the building had no proper fire safety measures in place.
Deputy Director of Narayanganj District Fire Service Abdullah Al Arefin said it will take some time to fully control the fire. Until the fire is doused, it is not possible to say exactly how much damage has occurred and the cause of the fire, he added. A five-member probe committee has been formed by the district administration to look into the incident.
Fires are common in Bangladesh due to lax enforcement of safety rules. In February last year 70 people died when an inferno ripped through several Dhaka apartment blocks.
“Once the fire is under control, we will conduct a search and rescue operation inside. Then we can confirm any further casualties, if any,” Debashish Bardhan, fire service spokesman, told AFP.
Mohammad Saiful, a factory worker who escaped the fire, said there were dozens of people inside when the blaze began.
“On the third floor, gates on both stairwells were closed. Other colleagues are saying there were 48 people inside. I don’t know what happened to them,” he said.
Mamun, another worker, said he and another 13 workers ran to the roof after the fire broke out in the ground floor and black smoke covered the whole factory.
“Firefighters brought us down by using rope,” he told reporters.
As clouds of smoke billowed from the factory building, hundreds of distraught people gathered outside to find out updates of their kins.
One of them was Nazrul Islam.
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