According to the district administration and firefighters, the terrible fire that broke out at Rupganj Sejan Juice Factory here last evening (Thursday) has claimed at least 52 lives and injured 50 more.
After several hours of frantic work, the blaze was brought under control at about 1:15 p.m. today, and firemen began collecting remains from the wreckage.
Around 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, a large fire broke out on the building’s bottom floor. Nur Hossain, deputy director (development) of the fire service and civil defence, said 49 dead had been retrieved as of 2:15 p.m. on Friday.
According to a fire service officer, the incident at Hashem Food Limited in Rupganj, Narayanganj, was aggravated by the large number of flammable items stored there.
According to fire department deputy director (operation and maintenance) Debashish Bardhan, highly combustible goods such as plastic, chemical, foil, butter, and cartons were responsible for the quick spread of fire, making the endeavour to extinguish the blaze more difficult.
Kazi Rafiqul Islam, the factory’s manager of administration, told Prothom Alo that 200 workers would be employed in the structure, which serves as a central storage. The facility housed juice flavours, foil packs, and other products.
According to police, the fire at Hashem Foods Ltd, a sister business of Sajeeb Group, injured at least 50 persons, the majority of whom were factory workers and employees.
The injured were being treated at a number of hospitals, including Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH), while the bodies were being transported to the DMCH morgue. He stated that they have no idea how many personnel were trapped inside the structure.
