Syed Shemul Parvez :
At least 12 persons, who were critically burnt on Wednesday’s factory fire in Keraniganj, died at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) on Thursday.
With this, the death toll from the fire at Prime Patent Plastic Limited reached 13 at the DMCH burn unit a day after the fire gutted the factory on Wednesday.
Besides, eight critically burnt patients were kept on life support in the Intensive Care Center (ICU) of DMCH’s Sheikh Hasina National Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute.
DMCH Burn Unit Resident Surgeon Dr Ariful Islam Nabin confirming the news said that 12 succumbed to their burn injuries till 2:00 pm yesterday. A total of 18 burnt patients, including 8 in the ICU, are still under treatment, he added.
According to the injured, the fire broke out at the factory, which produces onetime plastic glasses and cups, after a gas cylinder exploded with a loud bang.
The factory had also caught fire earlier in February.
While visiting the burn unit after the incident, State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid told the media that the plastic factory was not approved for working.
Bachchu Mia, Inspector of DMCH Police Outpost, told the New Nation that around 35 injured were admitted to the burnt unit of the hospital following the fire incident on Wednesday. Of them, 13 died till the Thursday.
Among the victims, 12 deceased were identified as Imran, Babul, Alam Hossain, Raihan, Zinarul Islam, Khalek, Salauddin, Sujon, Faysal, Jahangir, Mehedy and Abdur Razzak. The bodies were kept at the hospital morgue, Bachchu Mia added.
Abul Hossain, Deputy Director of Fire Service and Civil Defense, said in primary investigation, they found that the factory does not have enough security measures.
Even the factory had insufficient exit doors through which the staff can rush out during an emergency, he said.
Meanwhile, the factory was also fined for non-compliance, according to Labour and Employment Ministry.
After visiting the spot, KM Ali Azam, Secretary to the Labour and Employment Ministry, said that an inspection team of the ministry had visited and fined the factory for non-compliance on November 5.
A case was also filed in this connection, the secretary added.
Meanwhile The Ministry of Labour and Employment has formed a five-member committee to investigate the fatal fire that broke out at a plastic factory in Keraniganj on Wednesday.
The blaze at Prime Pet and Plastic Industries Limited claimed at least 13 lives and injured more than a dozen people.
The probe committee, headed by Additional Secretary Dr Mollah Jalal, has been instructed to recommend punitive measures against those responsible for the incident, said a Labour Ministry statement.
The committee has been asked to submit their probe report within seven working days.
The Ministry on Thursday issued an office order in this regard.
The committee has also been asked to provide detail information on the number of plastic factories in area that had been inspected by Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE) in the past few years.
In a separate statement, State Minister for Labour Monnujan Sufian expressed her deep condolence to the deceased’s families.
She announced Tk 0.1 million for each of the deceased’s families and Tk 50,000 for the injured workers who are under treatment at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital.
Terming the factory non-compliant, Labour Secretary KM Ali Azam said the factory authorities had been notified several times and a case was also filed against them under Labour Law.
“The reasons behind the accident will be investigated and leagal measures will be taken against the liable persons,” he noted.
