The Fire Service and Civil Defence today ended its rescue operation at the burnt juice factory of Hashem Foods Ltd at Rupganj after 48-hours since Friday afternoon and no more body was found.
“ Fire Service and Civil Defence concluded the rescue operation at about 5:20 pm today at the seriously damaged six-storey factory building . . . Total 52 people died with the 49 bodies recovered on Friday,” Fire Service and Civil Defence Deputy Director Dino Moni Sharma told media this evening. "Earlier three people, including two female workers, died when they jumped off the rooftop soon after the fire broke on Thursday evening to save their lives,” he added. The fire official said that they handed the accident site over to local police and factory authorities concerned. Meanwhile, police filed a murder case with Rupganj Police Station in this connection to the incident and arrested eight people from different areas of the city. The eight accused are: Sajeeb Group Chairman and Managing Director Md Abul Hashem, his four sons - Deputy Managing Director Hasib Bin Hashem (Sajeeb) and directors Tareq Ibrahim (Satej), Tawsif Ibrahim (Sheetal) and Tanjim Ibrahim, Sajeeb Group Chief Operating Officer Shahan Shah Azad and Hashem Foods Limited Deputy General Manager Mamunur Rashid and its administration chief Salahuddin Ahmed. Director of Fire Service (Operations) and Head of the Investigation Committee Lieutenant Colonel Zillur Rahman said the fire might have originated from the second floor. It was due to the machine, godown and chemicals being kept together inside the juice factory. “Besides, the fire took a terrible shape due to the presence of flammable substances, including chemicals, plastic wrappers, oils, foil paper and cartons,” he added. The investigation officer told the media that there was also faulty construction of the factory building. Zilur Rahman said on Friday afternoon, they (people inside the factory) found the exit gate of the third floor locked for which they could not come out of the floor to save their lives. Police said at least 50 people, mostly the factory workers and employees, received injuries in the fire at the seven-storey building located in the Kornogop area of Bhulta union under Rupganj upazila. Narayanganj district Deputy Commissioner Md Mostain Billah said the district administration meantime provided financial assistance to the injured after the fire, reports BSS. The DC said as the bodies were burnt seriously, they are not in the condition to be recognized only by seeing. So far, DNA samples of 45 people have been collected from the relatives of the deceased. These will be matched with the samples of the victims to identify the bodies and the bodies will be handed over as soon as possible, Billah mentioned. Meanwhile, the close relatives of the workers who remained missing since the fire and believed to be burnt to death gave samples for DNA examination to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) today to ascertain the victims’ identity, he added. Besides, the DC said, district administration officials are supervising the treatment facilities of the injured, undergoing different treatment centers and hospitals.
