Keraniganj fire death toll hits 19 as five more victims succumb to injuries

Five more victims of a deadly fire at a plastics factory in Keraniganj have succumbed to their injuries, raising the death toll to 19.

Three victims, identified as 'Mostakim', 22, Abdur Razzaq, 40, and Abu Sayeed, 29, died during treatment at the burns unit of the Dhaka Medical College Hospital on Sunday morning, said Bachchu Mia, an inspector at the police camp there.

Mostakim had 20 percent of his body burnt, Razzak 95 percent and Sayeed suffered 80 percent burns, said Samanta Lal Sen, the coordinator of the burns unit at DMCH.

As many as 14 others were undergoing treatment at the hospital, among whom, six are on life support, according to Samanta.

One of them, ‘Sumon’, 22, died at the Intensive Care Unit in the afternoon.

Another victim, ‘Durjoy’, 20, died at his home in Keraniganj.

Samanta said Durjoy’s family took him home two days ago despite the doctors’ warning as he had suffered 95 percent burns on his body.  

Burnt machinery at the Prime Pet and Plastic Industries Limited at Chunkutia in Dhaka's Keraniganj. Photo: Mahmud Zaman Ovi

A devastating fire gutted the Prime Pet and Plastic Industry factory in Keraniganj’s Chunkutia on Dec 11.

Firemen pulled out one body from the factory while 33 others were hospitalised. Thirteen of the injured subsequently died in hospital.

The authorities have handed over the bodies of 12 victims to their loved ones.

The plastics factory was operating without permission for five years, according to the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments.

“It was an illegal factory. It had managed a temporary permission from the fire service on condition that it would increase the number of exits within 90 days, but it did not do so. The factory had only one exit,” the department’s Deputy Inspector General Ahmed Belal told bdnews24.com.