The fire service has declared an end to the rescue operation 48 hours after the fire at the Shejan Juice Factory of Hashem Food and Beverage in Rupganj, Narayanganj. On Saturday (July 10) afternoon, the deputy director of the fire service officially announced the end of the rescue operation.
Fire service officials said they searched the entire building, including the fifth and sixth floors, and found no new bodies. At 5 pm, fire service personnel conducted a final search of the building and announced the end of the operation. However, a large part of the roof of the fifth floor of the building has collapsed due to the fire for a long time. For the same reason, the whole building has become risky, said the deputy director of the Dhaka division of the fire service.
He said, the products that were produced in the building contained plastics, resins, plastic bottles, flammable materials including plastic wrappers and chemicals and oils which caused fires for a long time.
From 5 pm on Thursday to 5 pm on Saturday, the fire service personnel managed to put out the fire for 48 hours.
The fire service’s director (operations) and the investigation committee said, the fire may have started because machines and chemicals were kept together inside the Shejan Juice factory. Because combustible chemicals were piled up on every floor of the factory.
He said, the fire had to be extinguished because of the piles of goods. Besides, the fire has taken a terrible shape due to the presence of flammable substances including chemicals and plastic, foil paper, cartons and other goods. That is why many people have lost their lives.
He added that there were errors in the construction of the building. An inquiry committee has been formed. The deputy commissioner said, the district administration had provided financial assistance to the dead and injured immediately after the fire accident.
He said, DNA samples of 45 people have been collected from the relatives of the deceased so far. These will be matched with the samples of the victims to identify the bodies and the bodies will be handed over as soon as possible.
District administration officials are supervising the treatment of the injured who are admitted to the hospital.
Last Thursday afternoon, a fire broke out at the Shejan Juice factory of Hashem Food Beverages at Karnagop in Rupganj at 5 pm. The burnt bodies of 49 people were recovered from the building. Besides, three more people died after jumping from the roof on the first day. A total of 52 people died.
