Mirpur factory fire: Chemical fumes still in the air

The massive fire that swept through a chemical warehouse and an adjacent garment factory in Shialbari of the capital's Mirpur was brought under control yesterday -- 27 hours after it broke out.

However, with toxic fumes still billowing from the site, the area remains highly dangerous.

Lt Col Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury, director (operations and maintenance) of Fire Service and Civil Defence, said the blaze was contained around 2:20pm, but it would take another 36 to 72 hours to completely extinguish the fire and conduct a search operation inside the warehouse.

He added that public announcements were made urging residents to evacuate the area as fumes from six types of hazardous chemicals were rising from the site. "Even from 300 to 500 yards away, the fumes can cause serious health effects. The entire zone is unsafe and people should stay away."

The blaze site is in a densely packed hub of garment and packaging factories, washing plants, printing presses, and chemical warehouses. It is interspersed with residential buildings, next to the Rupnagar Housing Estate and the Bangladesh University of Business and Technology campus.

While some factories attempted to reopen yesterday morning, authorities ordered them to shut down soon after.

Visiting the site yesterday, Social Welfare Adviser Sharmeen S Murshid said, "Warehouses like this should never be allowed in densely populated areas. After similar incidents in Old Dhaka, relocation was promised but never fully carried out."

Criticising business owners for negligence, she added, "Those responsible must be held to account under the law."

Fire Service Director (operations and maintenance) Lt Col Tajul, said Alam Traders, the chemical warehouse that burned down, was on their list of illegal establishments.

He added that the warehouse had been served notices three times and the relevant government agencies had also been informed.

Meanwhile, grim scenes unfolded at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital morgue, where families gathered to identify their loved ones.

Among the victims was a recently married couple -- Md Joy, 22, and Marzia Sultana Alo, 18.

Alo's uncle Md Yasin said they managed to identify Joy by the shorts he was wearing under his burnt jeans, while Alo was recognised by remaining pieces of unburnt clothing.

Families told The Daily Star that most of the workers in the factory earn between Tk 7,000 and Tk 7,500 a month. Many are in their teens.

Ruma, sister of 14-year-old victim Asma, broke down in tears. "Just the day before, she said, 'I'll leave this factory. There's never a day off here'."

Brigadier General Md Asaduzzaman, director of DMCH, confirmed that 16 bodies had arrived at the hospital. "We will hand over the bodies to the families after DNA matching," he told reporters.

Six of the bodies underwent autopsies yesterday, during which bone and tissue samples were collected for DNA profiling, said Md Masud Rabbi, a CID forensic lab examiner.

He requested claimants to provide DNA samples at the Malibagh CID lab starting today to assist in the identification process. Families gathered at the DMCH morgue said 11 victims remain missing.

The tragedy has cast a spotlight on the unsafe and exploitative working conditions in the area. Most of the deceased workers lived in a nearby slum, where a pall of gloom hung yesterday.

Taslima Akhter, president of Bangladesh Garment Sramik Sanghati, visited the site and described the incident as a systematic killing of workers. "Year after year, we see workers die like this. Authorities limit their role to condolences and token compensation, never ensuring real safety for workers."

In the meantime, the labour and employment ministry yesterday formed a seven-member committee to investigate the incident.

It also announced Tk 2 lakh in compensation for each deceased worker's family and Tk 50,000 for each injured worker's treatment.