A large fire at a garment factory in Dhaka, Bangladesh, has resulted in at least 16 fatalities, with officials indicating that the death toll may increase. Sixteen bodies, severely burned and requiring DNA testing, have been recovered for identification before being handed over to the victims’ families. Relatives have gathered outside the four-storey factory seeking information about their missing loved ones.
The fire erupted around midday and took approximately three hours to extinguish, although an adjacent chemical warehouse continued to burn. The sequence of events that led to the blaze is currently unclear. Eyewitness accounts reported that the warehouse stored several flammable substances, including bleaching powder, plastic, and hydrogen peroxide, which are known to exacerbate fire conditions and release toxic fumes when ignited.
According to the fire service, many victims succumbed to toxic gases and were unable to escape due to a locked roof door. Fire service director Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury suggested that inhalation of hazardous gases likely led to immediate fatalities. Efforts are ongoing to locate the owners of both the factory and the warehouse, and investigations into the legitimacy of their operations are being conducted. Reports indicate that the chemical warehouse lacked fire safety clearance and an operational license.
Family members of the victims, distressed and holding photographs of their missing relatives, have been seen gathering at the site. The incident highlights ongoing concerns regarding industrial safety in Bangladesh, which has experienced a series of deadly fires in the past, exacerbated by inadequate safety regulations and infrastructure. A notable case occurred in 2021, when a fire in a food factory killed over 50 people, and a catastrophic building collapse in 2013 resulted in the deaths of more than 1,100 individuals.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crexjqpw557o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss