At least 16 people have died after a massive fire broke out at a garment factory in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on Tuesday. Authorities said the number of victims could rise as rescue teams continue searching through the burnt structure.
The fire started around midday in a four-storey garment factory located in the Mirpur district of the capital. Firefighters battled the flames for nearly three hours before bringing them under control. However, an adjoining chemical warehouse was still burning late into the night, releasing thick smoke across the area.
According to the Bangladesh Fire Service, sixteen bodies have been recovered so far, all badly burned and difficult to identify. Witnesses said they heard small explosions as the fire spread quickly through nearby buildings.
Officials said the victims most likely died from inhaling poisonous fumes produced by burning chemicals. Fire service director Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury explained that the warehouse contained bleaching powder, hydrogen peroxide, and plastic materials, which made the blaze more dangerous and difficult to control.
Outside the factory gates, families waited in tears, holding photos of missing loved ones. One man said he was searching for his daughter, who worked at the factory. “I just want my daughter back,” he said.
Authorities have launched an investigation to determine how the fire started. Police and military officers are working to find the factory and warehouse owners and to verify whether the chemical storage site was legally operated.
As of Tuesday night, the fire at the warehouse had not been completely extinguished, raising fears that more bodies could be found inside.
Industrial fires are a frequent tragedy in Bangladesh, where safety standards and building regulations are often ignored. In 2021, a fire at a food factory killed at least 52 people, and in 2019, another blaze in Dhaka’s old city left 78 dead.
The deadliest disaster in the country’s industrial history occurred in 2013, when the eight-storey Rana Plaza building collapsed, killing more than 1,100 garment workers and sparking international outrage over unsafe working conditions.
Rescue teams continue their search, as Bangladesh mourns yet another deadly reminder of the country’s fragile industrial safety system.
