Gazi Tyre factory fire: 8-member probe body formed to look into alleged arson

An eight-member committee has been formed to look into the fire incident at the Gazi Tyre Manufacturing Factory in Rupganj upazila of Narayanganj on Tuesday.

The firefighting units fully doused the flame around 5 am on Tuesday, 33 hours after the fire that engulfed the whole building on Sunday night.

However, the firefighters feared that the six-storey factory building might collapse anytime.

They failed to conduct a rescue operation after dousing the inferno due to the vulnerable condition of the building, said assistant director of Fire Service and Civil Defence Anwarul Haque.

Besides, the local administration formed an eight-member committee, headed by Additional Deputy Manager Hamidur Rahman, to look into the fire and the committee has been asked to submit its report within ten days, said Deputy Commissioner Mahmudul Haque while talking to reporters in front of the building.

Locals claimed that some 187 people might have been missing after the fire incident and the relatives of the missing people gathered in front of the factory building.

“With the relentless efforts of the firefighters, they managed to douse the fire but heat was still coming out from the building. The factory building tilted a little bit and due to the vulnerable condition of the building, no one is allowed to enter into it to conduct a rescue operation,” said Anwar.

However, they used a turntable ladder (TTL) to conduct a search operation on the roof, but no one was found injured.

The Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) has been asked to make a list of those involved in the incident, said Mahmudul.

He also assured that action will be taken against those involved in the blaze.

Saiful Islam, Manager (administration) of Gazi Tyre Company, said several hundred people swooped into the factory building after 10 am on Sunday and confined the security guard. Later, they confined the other staff of the factory.

The miscreants sent the factory building on fire around 10 pm, he said.

The production of the factory has been suspended since August 5, he added. Some 2000–3000 workers used to work at the factory.

No workers were inside the factory during the fire, said Saiful.

Saiful also claimed that the estimated loss caused by the fire could be around Tk 80 billion.