KERANIGANJ PLASTIC FACTORY FIRE Another worker dies, death toll rises to 14
Fourteen-year-old Asad, who sustained severe burn injuries in plastic factory fire at Keraniganj on Wednesday, died at Sheikh Hasina Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute on Saturday, raising the death toll to 14.
Asad, son of Abul Kalam, a resident of Barguna, was among 31 workers of the factory who sustained burn injuries in the deadly fire. Twelve of them died Thursday while undergoing treatment and another died on the spot.
Sheikh Hasina Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute coordinator Samanta Lal Sen said Asad died in the morning from his burn injuries and all the 17 fire survivors were in critical conditions.
Dhaka Medical College Hospital burn unit resident physician AFM Ariful Islam Nobin said all the patients had suffered more than 50 per cent burn injuries.
‘All the patients have inhalation injuries which is more dangerous’ he said.
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On Wednesday, a devastated fire burnt down the Prime Pet and Plastic Industries at Chunkutia Bazar in Keraniganj, on the outskirts of the capital, leaving 31 injured and one dead on the spot.
The injured were undergoing treatment at DMCH burn unit and Sheikh Hasina Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute.
The origin of fire could not be identified yet but the officials said the factory was operating illegally without ensuring proper safety measures and employed child labourers.
Workers said there were at least 10 child labourers including Robin Khan, Jisan, Rayhan, Rabiul and Bijoy, all were between 12 to 15 years.
Among the injured Ryhan, died in DMCH on Thursday and Asad died in SHBPSI on Saturday while Jihan was undergoing treatment.
They said the factory management employed child labourers especially at recycling and loading sections to give lower wage.
Fire service and the labour ministry formed separate probe committees to investigate the cause and damages of the incident.
Fire service deputy director and also member secretary of five-member probe committee Abul Hossain said primarily the committee was considering gas explosion, electric short-circuit and chemical explosion as the cause of fire.
‘Investigation is hampering as we cannot talk to injured workers and the factory owner and others went absconding since the incident,’ he old New Age.
He said in primary investigation, they found the factory did not have enough safety measures and not sufficient exits.
Jahangir, brother of dead Alam, filed a case against the owner of Prime Pet and Plastic Industries Limited, Md Nazrul Islam, and 12 unnamed people on Thursday night.
Dakkhin Keraniganj police station inspector, also investigating officer of the case, Md Ashikuzzaman said police interrogated couple of people but yet to arrest anyone in the case as all were hiding.
‘We continue drives to arrest them,’ he said.
Local residents said minor fire incident frequently took place at the factories that the workers brought under control.
On Wednesday, the workers who died and sustained severe injuries went to douse the fire to save machineries and goods, said survived workers.
Local people said that at least 10 workers suffered minor burns during a fire in the factory in February, just days after a fatal fire at Chawkbazar in Dhaka killed at least 70 people on February 20.
A month later another fire at Banani in Dhaka killed at least 26 people.
News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net
