Building roof collapse kills three in Ashulia

Three masons were killed and another was injured, while the roof of an under-construction building of a water purifying and processing industry collapsed on them at Gafur Munshi Road in Jirabo area of Ashulia at Savar yesterday afternoon.

The deceased were identified as Jalal Uddin, 32, Jahangir Hossain, 25, of Chandpur district and Shahidul Islam, 26.
The injured was admitted to Enam Medical College Hospital at Savar, also on the outskirts of Dhaka.

Locals said some masons started foundry work for an onward roof of a two storied building of Primal Foods and Drinks Limited Industry, owned by Shamsu Mian and Sheikh Abdullah in the said area in the morning.

Of the on duty masons, four received seriously injuries, while the under-construction roof of the building collapsed suddenly on them. The injured were taken to Enam Medical College Hospital, where three persons succumbed to their injuries.

The condition of another person is stated to be critical, hospital sources said. Abdul Hamid, Senior Station Officer of DEPZ Fire Service and Civil Defense office, told The Asian Age that a team of the fire service went to the spot after getting information.

But it made late to reach the spot as the team members could not find out the location properly. When the fire fighters reached the spot, they did not find any wounded person at the place of occurrence, as they were already taken to hospital.

But the team was confirmed about the deaths of three persons and injury of one person, while they reached the said hospital. Mohsinul  Quadir, Officer in Charge (OC) of Ashulia police station, told The Asian Age that police visited the spot. After the incident, authorities of the industry fled.

He, however, has said preparation to lodge a case with the respective police station is going on and they will try to arrest the owners of the industry.

On the other hand, the roof collapse incident has spread out panic among the workers and employees of Ashulia and Savar zone based different industries as accidents specially fire and building or roof collapses have now become a regular phenomenon in the area.

Earlier, on November 22, at least 30 workers, mostly female and children, sustained burn injuries in a fire that broke out in the warehouse of Color Match BD Limited in Jirabo Phoolbagan area at Ashulia. Of them, four persons including women  and children succumbed to their injuries at Dhaka Medical College Hospital while taking treatment.

 On September 10, at least 27 persons were killed and over 50 sustained burn injuries, while a building of Tampaco Foils Limited in Tongi nearby Ashulia collapsed after a boiler explosion caused by gas line leakage.

Besides, the traumatic memory of Rana Plaza collapse is yet to remove from the mind of people including victims and their relatives.

Workers and employees of different industries in the area have remained alarmed over recurring accidents. They seem that, most of the industries in the area have now become death traps for the workers and employees due to lack of proper care by the owners.

 Extreme apathy of the industry owners and lack of safety measures have made the workers and employees' lives risky.