45 DNA-matched bodies to be handed over from today

Burnt objects at the ground floor of the factory of Hashem Food and Beverage Ltd in Karnagop area of Rupganj in Narayanganj on 9 July 2021Dinar Mahmud

The bodies of the Shezan juice factory fire victims would be handed over to their families from today (Wednesday), reports news agency UNB.

The identities of 45 workers killed in the factory fire have been confirmed through DNA tests, officials said Tuesday. These bodies were recovered in an unrecognisably charred state.

Narayanganj deputy commissioner (DC) Mostain Billah said some of the bodies were kept in Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) morgue.

Firefighters stand inside a Hashem Foods Ltd factory as burnt items are seen after a fire broke out, in Rupganj, Narayanganj district, on the outskirts of Dhaka, Bangladesh, 9 July, 2021
AFP

Twenty-four bodies kept at DMCH morgue will be handed to families at noon Wednesday. The rest were kept at Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital morgue and to be handed over in the next two days.

However, identities of three of the 48 bodies recovered in the same state from the same floor could not be ascertained from DNA matches.

Burnt objects at the ground floor of the factory of Hashem Food and Beverage Ltd in Karnagop area of Rupganj in Narayanganj on 9 July 2021
Dinar Mahmud

Deputy commissioner Mostain Billah further said that the families of the 45 deceased will be given Tk 50,000 for the burial and funeral.

The devastating fire broke out at the ground floor of the six-storey building of the factory around on 8 July afternoon.