Nganj building collapse: Rescue operation on in search of wazid

Fire service divers were continuing operation till this evening as Wazid, a 10-year-old school boy, remained missing since the collapse of a three-storey building in Narayanganj city.

The divers searched each of the rooms on the ground floor of the building but did not find the boy, Abdullah Arefin, deputy assistant director of Fire Service and Civil Defense, told our Narayanganj correspondent.

“But we cannot go to the balcony of the floor as the place is submerge under water and mud. Now we are removing water with excavator. If it not works, we will break the wall of that portion,” he said.

The search operation will be continued till 6:00pm, the fire official said.

Wazid, a student of grade six of Sunrise Model School, who used to live in an adjacent building with his family went to that building for private tuition in Baburail area yesterday afternoon. He is the son of Abdul Rubel of the area.

Meanwhile, the residents of some surrounding buildings left their homes following the evacuation order served by the fire service officials.

A 10-year old boy was killed and five others were injured when a three-storey building collapsed in the canal around 4.30pm yesterday.

The dead was identified as Md Soyahor Hossain, a sixth-grader of Sunrise Model School in the district.

The injured are Runa Begum, 35, wife of the building owner Babu Miah; their relatives Yusuf, 25; Anik Mirza, 23; Shwapna, 10; and tenant Sonia Akhter, 25.

Fire service officials earlier said the building might have collapsed due to faulty underground piling as it was built occupying a part of a canal.

Meanwhile, Soyahor’s cousin Wazid, 10, of the same school, remained missing since the incident occurred.

After the collapse, a few rooms of the building were submerged in the canal.

Speaking to The Daily Star, some locals said the three-storey building was constructed around 10 years ago. The construction of the fourth floor was still incomplete.