A major fire broke out at a tire factory in Bangladesh

A major fire broke out at the Gazi Tyres factory in Rupganj (Narayanganj, Bangladesh), after which more than 170 people were reported missing, according to local media.

As a result of the fire, three floors of the six-story building collapsed, and the fire department and local administration note that it is currently too dangerous to enter the building and search for the bodies of the dead.

"The presence of chemicals, prolonged ignition, and the pressure caused by the supply of water led to the collapse of the ceilings of the third and fourth floors," the fire department's press service reports. "The firefighters have no opportunity to start searching for bodies. Drones and ladders are being used to assess the condition of the collapsed floors. An expert commission has been formed."

The media notes that the fire burned continuously for 21-22 hours, and a human body usually turns to ash after just four hours. "Despite the fact that more than 100 people have been reported missing, not a single body has been recovered from the building," a fire department representative told the Dhaka Tribune on condition of anonymity.

Violence continues in Bangladesh, which began with student protests, and on August 25, activists from the Nationalist Party of Bangladesh (BNP) held a procession in Rupganj, celebrating the arrest of the owner of the tire factory, Golam Dastgir Gazi, a major entrepreneur and former member of parliament. It is reported that hundreds of people broke into the enterprise and staged a riot, after which the first floor of the building was set on fire.

Local authorities claim that there are no factory employees on the list of missing persons, and it includes those who participated in the riot or "were present at the factory for another reason".

Gazi Tyres is part of the Gazi Group holding. The company was founded in 2002.

Photo: Dhaka Tribune.