July 9 (UPI) — More than 50 people are dead from a major fire that erupted at an industrial building in Bangladesh, burned for a full day and wasn’t extinguished until Friday, authorities said.
The blaze broke out on Thursday at the building on the outskirts of the capital, Dhaka, which houses multiple factories. Officials say there are at least 52 dead.
Three people died after jumping from the seven-story building due to the intense heat.
Officials said the fire was isolated to one factory that manufactures juice, owned by Hashem Food and Beverage.
Firefighters said the blaze burned for a full 24 hours before it was finally put out on Friday afternoon.
“Many others are feared to be dead,” Fire Service Deputy Director Debashish Vardhan said, according to the Dhaka Tribune.
Officials said there were flare ups due to plastic and chemical materials that were stored in the building, and the stability of the structure is now a concern.
The substantial heat generated by the blaze was enough to form cracks in the building and cause aluminum to collapse, officials said. The only way out was the front door.
Survivors and victims’ relatives have expressed anger over the disaster and said the building was equipped with subpar fire protection.
Authorities are investigating the cause of the fire.
Bangladesh has a long history of unsafe working conditions in its factories.