Eight workers were killed in a devastating fire at a printing and dyeing factory in the capital's Shyampur area under Kadamtali police station early Thursday. The fire, which broke out at Sonargaon Dyeing and Printing Press Limited in Shyampur industrial area around 4:45am, was put out by the fire fighters after more than an hour of frantic efforts, police said.
The blaze originating from an electric short circuit engulfed the rooms where the eight unfortunate workers were asleep, the sources said. On information, fire fighters from Postogola and Fulbaria rushed to the spot and managed to douse the flame.
Barath Chandra Biswas, assistant director of Fire service, told The New Nation that the fire service men found bags containing chemicals on the upper floor of the building. These chemicals might have added fuel to the raging fire, he noted.
Shafiqul Islam, sub-inspector of Kadamtali police station, told The New Nation that the blaze sparked from the fourth floor of the factory owned by one Mizanur Rahman, and soon spread to the tin-shed portion of the building.
The deceased identified as the factory owner's nephews were Mohammad Chayan, 25, Mohammad Habibul Hoque 25 and his brother Mohammad Kabil Hossain, 25. Also killed were 'Asmaul', 17, from Chuadanga; Abdul Aziz, 22, from Barisal; Kabir Hossain, 20, from Chandpur; 'Nayan', 15, from Kishoreganj; and 'Almas', 20, from Shariatpur.
Mohammad Ripon, a factory official, said all of the deceased were asleep during the mishap.
Supervisor of the factory Rafiq told this correspondent that there were four rooms in that portion of the factory. "Workers from two rooms managed to get out but the others in the two other rooms got stranded", he said.
The charred bodies were sent to Sir Salimullah Medical College Hospital for autopsy. The extent of loss of property in the factory could not be ascertained immediately. None was, however, admitted to hospital as no one suffered any serious injuries in the blaze.
Factory fires in Bangladesh are frequent because of lax implementation of safety regulations.
Abdur Razzak,Operation officer of Kadamtali police station said that an unnatural death(UD) case has been filed in this connection.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) commissioner Benazir Ahmed visited Sonargaon Dyeing and Printing Press Limited at Shyampur industrial and talked to the family members of the deceased.
News Source: The New Nation