At least 16 people were killed and several others injured after a massive fire tore through a garment factory and an adjoining chemical warehouse in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on Tuesday. Fire service Director confirmed that rescue operations are still ongoing, warning that the death toll may rise as more victims could be trapped inside the structure.
The blaze reportedly began around midday on the third floor of a four-storey garment factory in the Mirpur district before spreading rapidly to a nearby warehouse storing bleaching powder, plastic, and hydrogen peroxide. Firefighters battled the inferno for almost three hours to contain the flames in the garment factory, while the chemical facility continued burning into the evening. Shocked family members gathered outside the charred remains, searching for missing relatives amid the debris.
Officials stated that neither the factory nor the warehouse had proper safety permits or approved fire protection systems. Fire service Director noted that a locked grilled door and a tin roof had prevented workers from escaping, while an explosion inside the chemical facility released toxic fumes that rendered several people unconscious. Due to the severity of the burns, authorities said DNA testing may be necessary to identify some of the victims.
Police and army units have been deployed to track down the factory’s owners, who are currently missing. Interim government head expressed condolences to the victims’ families and ordered a full investigation into the fire’s cause and the safety violations involved.
