Although at least 19 hours have passed, the fire in Shezan juice factory in Narayanganj has not yet been completely doused.
Meanwhile, workers blocked Dhaka-Sylhet Highway and vandalized cars to protest the incident. Later, a clash started between the workers and police. Police then fired tear gas to disperse the crowd.
Eighteen firefighting units from Narayanganj and Dhaka were struggling to douse the fire at the factory building of Hashem Foods Limited, a sister concern of Sajeeb Group, in Kornogop area of Bhulta till the filing of the report at 9:30am on Friday.
The fire broke out at around 5pm on Thursday, according to fire officials. It is suspected that the fire originated from the ground floor of the six-storey building, and spread quickly due to the presence of chemicals and plastic bottles.
At least 49 workers died and 50 were injured in the fire, according to the latest update. Many others are feared to be dead as the rescue operation is underway.
The three workers succumbed to injuries they suffered after jumping off the building to escape the devastating fire.
Mina Akter, 40, and Swapna Rani, 38, died on the way to a local hospital, according to Kanchan Fire Service Station Officer Shah Alam.
Another worker, Musralin, 24, died while undergoing treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital on Thursday night, said the in-charge of the police outpost, Bachchu Mia.
Mursalin was taken to the hospital along with 11-13 others in the evening. A dozen others were admitted at US-Bangla Medical College and Hospital in Rupganj, Narayanganj.
All of them were injured as they jumped off the second floor and third floor of the building, according to police and fire officials.
People have gathered in front of the building in search of their loved ones who are still missing. Of the many missing, the identities of 44 missing workers have been confirmed as of 1pm, said Bhulta police outpost Sub Md Mintu.
Rescued workers and relatives also alleged that the front gate and only exit of the factory had remained locked at the time of the fire. They said that the building had no proper fire safety measures in place.
Enraged by the delay in rescuing the people trapped inside the building, they have been protesting in front of the factory building and occupying Dhaka-Sylhet Highway since around 10pm on Thursday.
Deputy Director of Narayanganj District Fire Service Abdullah Al Arefin said it will take some time to fully control the fire.
“Until the fire is doused, it is not possible to say exactly how much damage has occurred, the cause of the fire and whether anyone is still inside,” he added.
A five-member probe committee has been formed by the district administration to look into this incident.
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