Another victim of the deadly fire at a Keraniganj plastics factory has died, raising the death toll from the incident to 22.
He died at the intensive care unit (ICU) in Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery (SHNIBPS) on Saturday (Dec 21) morning.
The deceased - Shahajul Islam Shaju, 19 - suffered 70% burns on his body, said the institute’s Resident Medical Officer Dr Partha Sarkar Pal.
He said Shaju's body has been kept at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) morgue. Shaju - the second child of Nazrul Islam and Sahela Begum - was from Nageshwari upazila of Kurigram district.
Around 10 victims are still receiving treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) and SHNIBPS. Doctors say the victims are still in critical condition.
The devastating fire — sparked by a gas cylinder explosion — had gutted the Prime Pet and Plastic Industry factory in Keraniganj’s Chunkutia on December 11, killing one worker on the spot and injuring at least 34 others, many with critical burns.
Upon investigation, Fire Service and Civil Defence found the owner had continued to operate the factory while neglecting fire hazard issues, as there had been other fires at this factory over the last several years.