7 killed in RMG factory fire

Additional DIG ZA Morshed

At least seven people, including a police official, were killed in a fire at a garment factory in Darussalam of Mirpur last night.
Five of them have been identified as managing director of the factory Mahbubur Rahman, additional deputy inspector general (DIG) ZA Morshed, president of Comilla Uttara Zila Jubo League Sohel Mostafa Swapan, and the MD's friends Syed Nasim Reza and Emdadul.
Identity of the other two deceased could not be known immediately.
The DIG's bodies have been kept in Square Hospital. Bodies of Sohel and Emdadul have been kept at National Institute of Cardiovascular Disease, while of Mahbubur's at Apollo Hospital.
Fire fighters said most of them had been found on the staircase and all had died in suffocation.

Fire fighters try to douse a blaze at a garment factory on the third floor of an 11-storey building in Mirpur Darussalam area early today. The fire broke out at Tung Hai Sweater Ltd yesterday around 11:05pm.Photo: Rashed Shumon

The fire broke out at Tung Hai Sweater Ltd at about 11:05pm. All the units of the factory were closed then. According to fire fighters the fire originated on the second floor of the 11-storey building.
The fire could not spread as several fire fighting units from Mirpur reached the scene immediately. More fire fighting units joined them later. Clouds of smoke were coming out of the building until filing of this report at 2:00am.
About 200 to 300 workers worked at the garment factory until 10:00pm. But the MD, his friends and some staffs were on the 9th floor when the fire broke out.