Rescue efforts on, 8 still missing

Holding a photo of her husband Masum Ahmed, Rupali breaks down in tears as their three and a half years old daughter Samia looks on outside the collapsed Tampaco Foils Limited factory in Tongi, Gazipur yesterday. Masum has been missing since a devastating fire broke out at the factory on September 10. Photo: Anisur Rahman

Search and rescue operation continued yesterday amid the rubble of collapsed Tampaco Foils factory in Tongi, as families of the missing people waited anxiously near the site to know the fate of their dear ones. The death toll from the deadly fire at the building rose to 34, with another victim succumbing to his burns on Tuesday, three days after the massive blaze suspected to have been caused by an explosion at the packaging factory on Saturday. The exact cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained. A number of probe committees are working to this end. Factory worker Monwar Hossain, 34, of Naria of Shariatpur district, died at a hospital in the capital, local administration said. The rescue team that includes firefighters and army personnel is frantically looking for more bodies. Large cranes are being used to plough through the concrete rubble. “Our family members have been at the spot round the clock, hoping that there will be some news,” said Alauddin, whose brother-in-law Jahirul Islam is among those missing. Based on the family claims, the local administration initially prepared a list of 10 missing people.

Two of them were later identified from among the bodies.

They are Ismail Hossain, 43, of Shahjadpur in Sirajganj, and Rajesh Babu, 25, of Amtali of Tongi — both workers of the factory.

Fire service officials said it might take a couple of months to clear all the debris and complete the search operation.

The army joined in the search operation on Monday, a day after firefighters started the search following a 36-hour effort to douse the flame.

Akteruzzaman, assistant deputy director of Gazipur fire service, said they would continue the search as long as there is a single claim of a missing person.

On Saturday, 24 bodies were recovered after the fire broke out at the factory around 6:00am, when the night shift ends and the morning shift begins.

Bangladesh Army conducting the rescue operation yesterday. Photo: Anisur Rahman

At least 50 others were injured.

Firefighters recovered four bodies on Sunday evening. On Monday, four more bodies were pulled out of the rubble.

Four victims are undergoing treatment at the burn unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital in critical condition.

Factory authorities have alleged the fire was caused by a boiler blast. But boiler inspectors refuse to believe that a boiler explosion could have brought down the multi-storey building.

Fire service officials said the boilers at the factory were intact.

Meanwhile, Abdul Quader, father of dead factory worker Jewel, filed a case against the factory owner and seven others with Tongi Police Station on Monday.

FAMILIES WORRY

Among those missing is Azim Uddin of Magura, an assistant operator of the factory.

His wife Parvin Akter said they looked for him at different hospitals and police stations with no luck. The family has been living in Gazipur for about five years.

He was supposed to be at the factory as his shift starts at 6:00 in the morning, she mentioned.

Tania, cousin of another missing person Murad Hossain, said he completed his Eid shopping the day before the incident. Everything he bought remains untouched at his house.

“We had plans to celebrate the Eid at the village home together. Instead, we waited in front of the factory on the Eid day for him,” she said.

Source: The Daily Star