As many as 175 people are reportedly missing following a devastating fire at the Gazi Tyre Manufacturing Factory at Rupshi under Rupganj upazila in Narayanganj.
The massive fire had been blazing for more than 22 hours at the factory till Monday evening (August 26). The family members and relatives of the missing people had provided the names and addresses of 175 individuals.
Lt Colonel Md Rezaul Karim, a director of the Fire Service and Civil Defense; told the media that they did not prepared any list of missing people till Monday evening.
The fire broke out in the six-story building of Gazi Tyre Manufacturing Factory, owned by former Awami League MP and textiles and jute minister Gazi Golam Dastagir, at about 9:00 pm on Sunday. The fire spread quickly as inflammable materials like tyres, rubber and plastic were inside the factory.
About 14 people were rescued by the firefighters. “The rescued persons are not workers of this factory. They came to loot valuables from the factory. The number of people trapped in the factory can be determined after the fire is doused, said Lt Colonel Md Rezaul Karim
However, twelve firefighting units were working to extinguish the fire since the fire broke out, but it could not be doused completely even after 22 hours, said officials of Fire Service and Civil Defense.
It is alleged that miscreants set fire to the factory after looting valuables from the six-storey building. The factory authorities claimed that none of the missing individuals were workers, suggesting they might have entered the building during the looting incident or for other purposes.
Locals said that the individuals reportedly went to the upper floors of the building to loot, but when the fire broke out, they became trapped.
However, some local residents claimed that between 400 to 500 people might be trapped inside the factory. Families of the missing have listed the names of at least 175 people who are unaccounted for, heightening the urgency of the rescue operations.
“Relatives are arriving, crying and claiming that their loved ones are missing, so we are taking down their names. So far we have collected the names of 175 people. Earlier, 14 individuals were rescued from the building,” said an official of Fire Service and Civil Defense.
Saiful Islam, assistant general manager of Gazi Tyre Manufacturing Factory; said that hundreds of people broke into the factory on Sunday afternoon, hours after Golam Dastagir Gazi, the chairman of Gazi Group, was arrested from the capital. Later, the people set fire inside the factory around 9:00pm. The fire service reached the scene around 11:40 pm.
In a troubling development, local residents reported that a celebratory procession was held in Rupsi area after news broke that Gazi Golam Dastagir had been placed on a six-day remand. The procession reportedly escalated when a group of people stormed the factory, looting machinery and furniture. Shortly afterward, miscreants allegedly set fire to the ground floor of the factory, triggering the massive blaze.
The factory contained raw materials and chemicals worth Tk. 150-200 crore, which were looted before the arson. During the looting, some of the looters were trapped inside the building but were later rescued by the fire service.
The factory also came under arson attack earlier after the fall of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina on August 5. Production of the factory was suspended since then.
