At least seven people were killed and more than 20 injured in Mongla, Khulna when a partially-completed roof of a three-storey cement factory collapsed yesterday afternoon.
Around 60 people, including the injured, have been pulled out alive. Four were later declared dead in hospital. Three more bodies were pulled out later in the evening.
The deceased are Amir Hossain, Maruf Sheikh and Ansar Sheikh from Rampal upazila and Al Amin from sadar upazila of Khulna, and Baki Billah from Kolarowa upazila of Satkhira. The identities of the other two could not be confirmed.
Md Yunus, one of the rescued workers undergoing treatment at the Khulna Medical College Hospital (KMCH), said around 150 people had been working in the building. Of them 90 were construction workers, laying down a concrete roof.
By midday, they had finished laying down a third of the roof. But around 1pm, it fell in, Yunus said.
However, authorities of the Elephant Brand Cement factory, owned by the Sena Kalyan Sangstha (army welfare organisation), said around 90 people were working.
Capt Syed Helal Hossain, deputy director of the factory, confirmed the number while speaking to the Dhaka Tribune last night.
Sheikh Mizanur Rahman, Khulna divisional deputy director (DD) of fire service, who was leading the rescue operation, said: “From the records at the gate, we have learned that around 90 people entered the building today [Thursday].”
Capt Helal also said their main contract for the construction was with a Chinese firm CNBM International. They started work in February last year. The contract was for 22 months.
“However, the part of the roof that collapsed was being built by a Bangladeshi firm named ITCL under a sub-contract. But some Chinese people always supervise their work,” the captain said.
Fire service deputy director Mizanur said there could be another 10-20 bodies under the rubble and chances of their survival are slim.
“We began cutting the heavy portion of the collapsed structure at 9pm to bring out the rest of the people trapped underneath,” he added.
Local administration has locked the main entrance of the building since the collapse. They have barred relatives and the journalists from entering the site.
Hundreds of people – including relatives of missing victims and curious onlookers – were still crowding the site when this report was being filed around 10pm yesterday.
The Dhaka Tribune has learned that the floors were of industry standard height, meaning that the three-storey structure was actually as high as a regular five-storey building.
Capt Helal said the second floor, right under the floor that collapsed, and everything below that was intact.
Factory authorities said the new building was being constructed to expand their production. Work at the bigger main factory building has remained suspended since the collapse.
Of the 59 rescued alive, 28 were undergoing treatment at the KMCH and other local hospitals. One worker, Shihab, reported to be in critical condition, was sent to Dhaka in the evening.
Khulna Coast Guard and a platoon of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) are assisting the Fire Service in the rescue operation.
