At least 13 persons, including two women, were roasted alive in a devastating fire that broke out at a plastic factory located in Nasim Plaza standing opposite to Sony Cinema Hall at Mirpur section-1 in the city on Saturday evening. The identities of the deceased could not be known immediately. Rescuers said the death toll may rise. Director [Operation and Maintenance] of Fire Service and Civil Defence [FDCS] Major Shakil Newaj Khan said, “Three bodies were taken to the Burn Unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital [DMCH]. Of them, two were women and one
was man. The rest five bodies were taken to Mirpur police station.” Local sources said that the building also houses a number of ready-made garment factories. Usually around 62 workers work in the plastic factory in two shifts, consisting 31 workers in each shift. Yesterday there were some 50-60 people inside the factory. Of them, 12-13 women and the rest of them were men. The fire caught when the boiler was blasted. The fire fighter and law enforcers rescued at least 20 people from the blazing four-storey building. They were also rushed to Burn Unit of DMCH. Of them, condition of four, including two security guards Kamal Hossain and Towhidul Alam, both of them members of Reza Security Company, was stated to be critical. DMCH’s doctor Ahmedul Kabir said, “Four bodies were brought here. Two of them are of a female and a male. The rest of them are charred beyond recognition.” “Eight persons were killed in the blaze. The fire originated at a plastic house on the first floor of the building at around 5:45pm. 20 units of the fire fighters tried to douse the fire,” Fire Service Director General Ali Ahmed Khan said. Additional Deputy Commissioner of Mirpur Zone Md Jasin Uddin said, “at least 10 bodies have been recovered. The fire engulfed entire first, second, third and fourth floors of the building. All the floors have been burnt into ashes.”
Dar-us-Salam Police OC Selim Uz Zaman said that a portion of the building has been tilted due to heavy rush of enthusiastic people those gathered there to see the fire.
