Russell Mia and his mother Rashida Begum had joined the Styrofoam package factory on the same day five yearsago.

They left their home and went to their workplace together on Saturday. But little did they know about the tragedy that was to befall them.

Thirteen people, including Rashida, were burnt to death as a devastating fire swept through the factory at Mirpur-1 in the capital that evening.

Nineteen-year-old Russell received the charred body of his mother at Dhaka Medical College morgue and started for Nalchity of Jhalakathi around 4:00am yesterday.

He said they were working on different floors when the fire broke out.

"I managed to get out [of the factory] as 1 was working on the ground floor. My mother was on the first floor,” Russell told this correspondent at the morgue.

"I knew my mother was there, but I was totally helpless. I tried several times but failed to go upstairs because of the flames," he said.

"My life now will never be the same," he added.

After the incident, firefighters pulled out the bodies from the factory. Those were taken to the hospital later.

Russell said Rashida, 37, was working as a peon.

Like Russell, many other relatives of the victims had gathered at the hospital morgue since Saturday night to take the bodies home.

They had to wait for hours yesterday as the burnt victims could hardly be recognised.

Shakil Ahmed, executive magistrate of Tejgaon development circle, said all the 13 bodies had been identified.

"Eleven of them were handed over to the families. Two bodies will be given |to the families] tomorrow (today]", he said yesterday.

Selimuzzaman, officer-in-charge of Shah Ali Police Station, said a general diary was filed with the police station over the incident.

Inside the factory building, the top floor of which was made of corrugated iron sheets, there were flammable materials, plastics and gas cylinders, believed to be the reason behind the fire spreading fast that day.