Dhaka: At least 16 people have been confirmed dead after a massive garment factory fire in Dhaka’s Mirpur area, with officials warning that the death toll could rise as rescue operations continue.
According to the Bangladesh Fire Service, sixteen charred bodies have been recovered from the four-storey building, all burned beyond recognition. The blaze, which erupted around midday, took firefighters nearly three hours to extinguish. However, an adjacent chemical warehouse stayed ablaze well into the night due to the presence of highly flammable materials.
Eyewitnesses said the warehouse stored bleaching powder, plastic, and hydrogen peroxide, substances known to intensify fires and release toxic fumes when burned. Fire Service Director Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury told local media that the victims likely died instantly after inhaling highly toxic gas.
Police and military personnel are assisting in recovery efforts and are currently trying to locate the owners of both the garment factory and the chemical warehouse. Authorities have also launched an investigation into whether the warehouse was operating legally.
Outside the burned-out buildings, grief-stricken relatives gathered throughout the day, holding up photographs of missing family members. As of 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT), media reports indicated that the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully contained.
Fires are tragically common in densely populated Bangladesh, often fuelled by poor safety standards and weak infrastructure. In 2021, a food and drink factory blaze killed at least 52 people, while a 2019 fire in Dhaka’s historic district claimed 78 lives.
The nation’s deadliest industrial disaster remains the 2013 Rana Plaza collapse, which killed more than 1,100 garment workers. Authorities have vowed to hold those responsible accountable as the investigation continues.
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