STAFF CORRESPONDENT

At least 16 people were killed and several others injured after a devastating fire broke out at a chemical warehouse and an adjacent garment factory unit in the capital’s Mirpur yesterday.

The victims might have died after inhaling toxic gas following a chemical explosion, said Lt Col Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury, director (operations and maintenance) of the Fire Service and Civil Defence.

“The exact cause [of the fire] will be known after investigation,” he told reporters at the site.

The bodies were found scattered across the first and second floors of the four-storey RMG unit in the Shialbari area. The tin-roofed chemical warehouse was next to the RMG unit.

“Their faces are completely unrecognisable due to the extreme heat. Identification will only be possible through DNA testing,” Lt Col Tajul said. All bodies were sent to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

The fire started around 11:40am and spread rapidly, said witnesses.

By 4:15pm, nine bodies had been recovered. Later, around 7:15pm, the fire service updated the death toll to 16. Officials fear the number of casualties may rise further.

In the afternoon, firefighters were spraying water in a frantic effort to control the blaze. CID’s crime scene and chemical lab experts were deployed to collect evidence.

Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus directed the authorities to investigate the incident and provide assistance to the victims and their families.

“This loss of innocent lives in such a tragic accident is deeply painful and heartbreaking. We stand beside the affected families in this time of grief,” he said in a message.

In a statement, the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) said the RMG factory in question was a washing unit, not an affiliate of the association.

Witnesses said they first heard a loud bang from the warehouse. The first fire service team reached the site at 11:56am, said Talha Bin Jasim, an officer at the fire service media cell.

“There was white smoke all around. Windowpanes were shattered, and we could not see anything,” said Abdul Hannan, a worker from a nearby factory.

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