United News of Bangladesh

Police have handed over the bodies of 16 victims, who died in the devastating fire at a garment factory and a chemical warehouse in Mirpur’s Rupnagar area to their families five days after the incident. The handover process began around 10:15pm on Sunday and continued until 12:30am, according to police.  The bodies had been kept in the cold storage of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) morgue for DNA testing and identification. Mohammad Mokhlesur Rahman, inspector (investigation) of Rupnagar Police Station, said the forensic unit of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) provided them with the DNA results for 16 victims. After confirming the matches with their family members, they contacted them and all 16 bodies were handed over at the DMCH morgue, he said. Mirpur factory and chemical warehouse fire: 7-member probe body formed Each bereaved family received Tk 25,000 in burial assistance from the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, disbursed through the Dhaka district administration. Tejgaon Development Circle Engineer Md Zakir Hossain handed over the financial assistance. The 16 victims were identified through DNA testing as Mahira Akter, 14, daughter of late Omar Faruk from Bamna upazila in Barguna; Nargis Akter, 18, daughter of Wazi Ullah from Daliganagar in Lalmohan upazila, Bhola; Md Sanowar Hossain, 25, son of Mizanur Rahman from Nalitabari, Sherpur; Nure Alam Sarkar, 23, son of Aminul Islam from Bhabanipur, Gaibandha Sadar; Al Mamun, 38, son of late Mojibur Rahman from Darikata village, Amtali upazila, Barguna; Rabiul Islam Robin, 20, son of Nazu Mia from Tilaknagar, Bancharampur, Brahmanbaria; Farzana Akter, 15, daughter of Ratan Mia from Golla Rajapur, Dharmapasha, Sunamganj; Khalid Hasan Sabbir, 29, son of Monirul Islam from Islambpur, Barguna Sadar; Abdul Alim, 14, son of Nur Islam from Krishnapur, Singra, Natore; Joy Mia, 20, son of Sabuj Mia from Nurulla village, Barhatta, Netrakona; Asma Akter, 13, daughter of Nayan Mia from Southkhali, Mohanganj, Netrakona; Muna Akter Samia, 16, daughter of Sonu Mia from Kadamshree, Madan, Netrakona; Mousumi Khatun, 22, daughter of Abdul Mannan from West Naodabas, Hatibandha, Lalmonirhat; Mukta Begum, 36, daughter of Musha Dewan from Sureshwar, Naria, Shariatpur; Tofayel Ahmed, 18, son of Joj Mia from Joypur, Mohanganj, Netrakona; and Nazmul Islam Riaz, 40, from Panti village, Kumarkhali, Kushtia. Death toll rises to 16 in Mirpur factory and chemical warehouse fire Earlier, forensic experts collected DNA samples from six bodies on October 15 and from ten more on October 16 for identification purposes. On October 14, the fire, which broke out in the Rupnagar industrial area, gutted the multi-storey factory and warehouse building, leaving 16 workers dead and several others injured. On October 16, the Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD) formed a seven- member panel to investigate the fatal fire incident. Lt. Col Mohamamd Tajul Islam Chowdhury, director of FSCD headquarters, was made the head of the committee.  

The bodies of 16 people who died in a devastating fire at a chemical warehouse and garment factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on Tuesday will be handed over to their families soon after proper identification, officials said on Wednesday. Brig Gen Md Asaduzzaman, director of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), said the unidentified bodies will later be transferred to Anjuman Mofidul Islam. He said the victims include nine men and seven women, all of whom were brought to the hospital following the fire. “Many of the bodies were severely burnt, making identification extremely difficult. So far, 10 relatives have claimed the bodies of their family members,” he added. Mirpur Factory Fire: Bodies of 16 people taken to DMCH Emphasising the importance of proper identification, he said the hospital, in coordination with the district administration and police, will not hand over any dead body without verification. “We have decided to collect DNA samples from all victims. The bodies will then be released to those who have claimed them. Unclaimed bodies will be kept for a few days before being handed over to Anjuman Mofidul Islam,” Asaduzzaman said. The hospital director also noted that police are assisting in expediting the process. “We will try to ensure that claimed bodies are delivered to families with administrative support as soon as possible,” he added. The fire broke out around 11:30am at the four-storey ‘Anwar Fashion’ garment factory and an adjacent tin-shed chemical warehouse. Locals said the blaze started on the factory’s ground floor and quickly spread to the chemical warehouse, triggering loud explosions that engulfed all four floors. DNA tests may need to identify Shialbari 16 fire victims: Fire Service Workers tried to escape, but many were trapped. The Fire Service said the chemical warehouse contained bleaching powder, plastic, and hydrogen peroxide. By 7:15pm on Tuesday, rescue teams had recovered the charred bodies of 16 victims from the scene.

The fire that broke out at a slum in the Bhashantek area of Dhaka's Mirpur on Sunday evening was fully extinguished after two and a half hours. Seven firefighting units responded to the scene and doused the blaze around 10:25 pm, said Talha Bin Jasim, station officer of the FSCD headquarters media cell. According to the Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD), the fire started at the Shyamol Polli Slum around 7:55 pm. The fire was brought under control by 9:10 pm. The extent of the damage and the cause of the fire could not be confirmed immediately.  No casualties have been reported so far.

The fire that broke out at Hirur Maar Slum in the city’s Kalshi area of Mirpur early Friday gutted 20 shanties and 40 shops.