At least 52 people have died and dozens are missing as a result of a fire at the Hashem beverage factory in Bangladesh, according to police reports released on Friday and cited by Reuters.
The fire, which occurred in a factory in Rupganj, just 25 kilometers from Dhaka, the capital of the Asian country, on Thursday at 5:00 p.m. local time (1:00 p.m. in mainland Spain), was still active for a further 24 hours. late.
Firefighters rescue bodies of victims after the fire in a factory in Bangladesh this Friday.MUNIR UZ ZAMAN / AFP
“Once the fire is under control, we will conduct a search and rescue operation inside. Then we will be able to confirm more victims, if there are any, "said fire service spokesman Debashish Bardhan, quoted by Al Jazeera. The causes of the fire have not yet been clarified, according to authorities. The fire originated, according to Reuters, on the ground floor of the six-story building that is dedicated to the production of mango juices.
As reported by Al Jazeera, it is also unclear how many people have been trapped inside the building. Many relatives have gathered outside the factory waiting for news of their relatives. One of them is Nazrul Islam: “We came here because my niece did not receive our phone calls for a while. And now the phone doesn't ring at all. We are concerned, "he told the Qatari network. In addition to the deceased, there are at least 30 injured, including three people who had to jump out of the windows to escape the flames. This Friday afternoon the upper floor was still burning. Firefighters are struggling to control it as chemicals and flammable materials were stored inside the building, Reuters says citing Mustain Billah, Narayanganj district administrator,where the factory is located.
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Five years after the Rana Plaza disaster
Fires are frequent in factories in Bangladesh, due to non-compliance with safety regulations.
In February 2019, at least 70 people were killed in a major fire in an apartment building in Dhaka, where chemicals had been illegally stored.
In April 2013, the Rana Plaza tailoring workshop collapsed like a house of cards and 1,138 workers died inside.
