Staff Reporter :
At least 16 people were killed in a devastating fire that broke out at a garment factory and an adjacent chemical warehouse in Mirpur’s Shialbari area in Dhaka on Tuesday.
Fire officials fear the death toll may rise as a search and rescue operation continues inside the burned structure.
According to fire service, all the bodies found inside the garment factory have been kept in the Dhaka Medical College Hospital and DNA test is necessary for their identities.
The fire started around 11:45 am and raged through the seven-storey ‘Anwar Fashion’ garment factory and contiguous tin-shed warehouse containing chemicals.
It took firefighters nearly four hours to bring the blaze under control. The cause of the fire is yet to be determined, but witnesses said it may have started at the washing unit on the ground floor of the factory before spreading to the chemical warehouse.
Lieutenant Colonel Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury, Director of Operations and Maintenance at the Fire Service and Civil Defence, said nine bodies were initially recovered, but later updates confirmed the death toll had climbed to at least 16.
He said the intense blaze was fueled by volatile chemicals stored in the adjacent warehouse, making the operation extremely dangerous.
“This is not an ordinary fire. Highly flammable chemicals are still burning.
The situation remains risky and we are not allowing anyone near the warehouse,” he told reporters at the scene.
He added that drones were being used to support the search operation in areas that remain inaccessible.
Eight burn victims were rescued and rushed to the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery, where they are receiving treatment. The condition of several is said to be critical.
Fire officials said the chemical warehouse stored bleaching powder, plastic materials and hydrogen peroxide, which released toxic fumes and intensified explosions during the fire.
Many of the victims are believed to have died from inhaling poisonous gas rather than burns.
Talha Bin Jasim, a media officer of the Fire Service, said 12 fire units were deployed to douse the fire.
He confirmed that the fire on the fourth floor of the garment factory was brought under control, but the chemical warehouse was still burning due to repeated explosions.
He said most of the bodies recovered so far were inside the factory building. Several workers were trapped inside the building as fire blocked the stairways and exits.
Many tried to escape through windows or by breaking ventilation panels.
Relatives of missing workers gathered outside in distress, holding up photographs in hope of finding their loved ones alive.
Survivors said chaos broke out as flames spread quickly after a sudden explosion in the warehouse.
Eyewitnesses described how chemical drums exploded and scattered across the site.
One factory worker said, “The fire spread within minutes after the blast. People were screaming and running, but most got trapped inside.”
Many relatives broke down in tears as they waited anxiously for updates.
Surma Begum, clutching a passport-size photo of her daughter Nargis Akhter, cried out, “Nobody is telling us anything. We don’t know if she is alive or dead.”
Another woman, Nasima Akhter, said her husband Nazrul Islam, who worked as a machine operator at the factory, called her just after the fire started but could only shout “fire, fire” before the line went dead. His phone has been switched off since.
Reshma Akhter said her 15-year-old relative, Asma Akhter, who worked in the factory, has been missing since the fire.
“She lived in Shialbari and went to work this morning. We have searched every hospital. No trace yet,” she said.
Fire Service Director Tajul Islam said no one connected to the chemical warehouse had come forward. He claimed the warehouse did not appear to have legal approval.
“It looks like the chemical storage was unauthorized. An investigation will confirm the details,” he said.
In a condolence message, Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus expressed deep grief at the tragedy and offered prayers for the victims.
He conveyed sympathies to the bereaved families and instructed authorities to investigate the cause of the fire and ensure immediate assistance to the injured.
