At least 16 people were killed and dozens of others injured when a fire broke out at a chemical warehouse and a nearby garment factory in the Shialbari area of Rupnagar, Dhaka, on Tuesday.
The death toll may rise as firefighters continued searching the gutted garment factory after extinguishing the blaze there, while efforts were still underway to bring the fire at the chemical warehouse under control late into the night.
All the bodies were recovered from the garment factory. The identities of the deceased could not be confirmed as most of the bodies were severely burnt and beyond recognition.
However, Mustaque Ahmed, resident surgeon at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, told journalists around 9pm that the deceased included nine males and seven females.
The Fire Service recovered nine bodies from the factory. “The bodies are so badly burned that identification is impossible without DNA testing,” Fire Service Director (Operations) Lt Col Tajul Islam told reporters.
Fire officials suspect that some victims may have died after inhaling toxic gas following a chemical explosion.
Based on initial findings, Lt Col Tajul said, “The roof of the garment factory was made of tin. There was a grilled door leading to the roof, but it was locked. That’s why the workers could not escape upstairs.”
Neither the garment factory nor the chemical warehouse had proper approval or fire safety plans in place, he added.
The blaze reportedly started at the Shah Alam Chemical Godown around 11:40am and spread rapidly to the adjoining four-storey garment factory, Anwar Fashion, following a massive explosion caused by the presence of flammable substances.
Twelve Fire Service units rushed to the scene. Army drones and a remote-controlled robot were deployed to help bring the fire under control. The blaze at the garment factory was doused by evening, but the fire at the chemical warehouse continued burning.
Due to the presence of highly flammable materials such as bleaching powder, plastic, and hydrogen peroxide, firefighters struggled to fully extinguish the flames. Thick columns of smoke billowed from the warehouse, indicating large quantities of combustible substances were stored inside.
After the explosion at the chemical warehouse, toxic white smoke or poisonous gas spread across the area, which may be the cause of the high death toll.
There were conflicting accounts regarding how and where the fire started. Several witnesses claimed that it originated from a “wash unit” on the ground floor of the three-storey garment factory before spreading to the adjacent chemical warehouse, triggering a loud explosion that engulfed the entire factory.
As the fire spread, panicked workers tried to escape in various ways, but many became trapped inside.
Lt Col Tajul said the exact cause of the fire was still unknown. “Those who initially tried to douse the flames reported seeing fires in both the chemical warehouse and the garment factory,” he said.
In his initial briefing, he confirmed that the chemical factory had no approval, adding that further details would emerge following investigation. Later in the evening, he informed the media that neither the factory nor the warehouse had any form of permission.
The injured were taken to various hospitals across the city. Three people with burn injuries were admitted to the Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery.
One of the injured, Al Mamun (32), a cutting master at the garment factory, said he heard a loud noise while working. “I thought it was an earthquake. Then I saw smoke entering the building. I got trapped on the third floor. Rescuers pulled me out,” he recalled.
He said the factory’s sewing section was on the second floor, where many workers were present.
Another injured worker, Sohel Sarder (32), said, “I was working in the finishing section. I got trapped on the first floor while trying to escape. Rescuers saved me when I was surrounded by thick smoke.”
The owner and staff of the chemical warehouse have gone into hiding. Police and army personnel were searching for them.
Visiting the site at around 9:20pm on Tuesday, Dhaka Deputy Commissioner Tanvir Hossain said chemical warehouses should not be located in residential areas. “We urge the public to inform us if they notice such irregularities,” he told reporters.
Fires at unauthorised chemical warehouses frequently claim lives in Bangladesh. On 22 September, four firefighters died while trying to extinguish a blaze at an illegal chemical warehouse in Tongi after being misled by the owner.
