Over 100 'missing' as fire rages Gazi Tyre Factory

Over a hundred people were reported missing as a devastating fire raged through Gazi Tyre Factory in Rupganj of Narayanganj on Sunday night.
The family members of the missing people thronged the factory premises on Monday afternoon to find their near and dear ones.
The fire service began compiling a list of the 'missing' people, and by around 2:45pm they recorded 173 names.
However, Lieutenant Colonel Rezaul Karim, director of the Fire Service and Civil Defense in Dhaka, told the Financial Express that some families have reported their loved ones missing.
"The fire service is not responsible for preparing a list of the missing individuals," he stated.
"Our top priority right now is to extinguish the fire. Once that is done, we will assess the number of casualties," Karim said.
The fire department managed to bring the fire under control by 7:00pm on Monday. It was smouldering.
The factory authorities claimed that none of the 'missing' people were factory workers. It is believed that they may have entered the factory premises to loot the factory or for other purposes.
A total of 12 fire service units were working to control the blaze, Rezaul said.
"The firefighters have rescued 14 people from the factory," he added.
The relatives of the missing people said their loved ones went to the factory in various times on Sunday and none of them were factory workers.
Since then, they have been missing, and their mobile phones have been switched off since last night.
A housewife named Ruby was seen crying with her two-year-old son, Adnan, outside the factory.
She said her husband, Md Sajib, 26, has been missing since 9:00pm on Sunday.
Sajib, son of Shahid Mia from Gangnagar in Murapara, worked as a mason's assistant.
Ruby states, "Sajib went to the factory after hearing about looting. We last spoke with him at 9:00PM when he was at the factory. After that, we haven't been able to reach him."
Among those listed as missing are Md Shaon (12), a herder from an agro farm; Abdur Rahman (30), a worker at a cement factory; Md. Sujan (28), a scrap dealer; his sister Maphia Begum (30); Mafiia's husband, Md. Ratan (35); Hasan Ali (32), a mason from Baralu area, along with his two friends, Ohid (32) and Rubel (30); grocer Shahadat Sikdar (29) and his brother Sabbir Sikdar (25), among others.

[email protected]