8 killed in city sweater factory fire

Factory MD, add DIG of police among the dead

News - 8 killed in city sweater factory fire
 At least eight people, including the factory managing director (MD) and an additional deputy inspector general (DIG) of police, were killed in a fire that broke out at a sweater factory in the city’s Darus Salam area on Wednesday night.The deceased were identified as Mahbubur Rahman, MD of the sweater factory, Tung Hai; his friend additional DIG of police ZM Morshed, his bodyguard constable Dipon Chakma, 35, Sohel Mostofa Swapan, 32; Nazmul Huda alias Nazu, 45, president of Comilla Dakkhin Jubo League; Mustafizur Rahman, 32, a painter; Imdadur Rahman Badal, 50; and Sahabuddin, 35, a peon.

Sources at the Fire Brigade Headquarters said the fire originated on the first floor of the 11-storey factory building on the Darus Salam Road near Bangla College around 11:05pm and it soon spread up to the second floor.

The factory was closed earlier in the evening but several employees and the MD of the factory along with his friend Morshed were staying inside the building when the fire broke out.

On information, 13 firefighting units rushed in and doused the flame after two hours of frantic efforts around 1:10 am.

At least eight people, including Mahbubur Rahman and Morshed, were rescued in a critical condition from inside the building and taken to Square Hospitals, Institute of National Cardiovascular Diseases, Apollo Hospitals and other hospitals.

Contacted, officer-in-charge of Sher-e-Banglanagar Police Station Abdul Momen said two people, including the additional DIG, were declared dead at the Square Hospitals while five at the Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases and the factory MD at Apollo Hospitals.

Director (Operations) of Fire Brigade Major Mahbub told UNB over phone that the fire might have originated from an electrical short circuit on the 1st floor of the building.

Later, the blaze raged up to the 2nd floor, he added.

Most of the people, including the factory MD and the additional DIG, were staying on the 10th floor when the fire incident occurred, he said, adding they (the victims) became unconscious due to suffocation.

Source: UNB Connect