Bangladesh Factory Fire Kills at Least 16, Death Toll Expected to Rise
Dhaka, Bangladesh — At least 16 people have been confirmed dead after a massive fire tore through a garment factory in Bangladesh’s capital, Dhaka, on Tuesday. Authorities fear the death toll could rise as rescue teams continue to search the site amid smoldering debris and toxic fumes.
The fire erupted around midday at a four-story garment factory in the city’s Mirpur district, a densely populated area filled with workshops, warehouses, and residential buildings. The flames quickly spread, trapping dozens of workers inside and igniting a nearby chemical warehouse.
According to officials from the Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defence, sixteen charred bodies have so far been recovered, all burned beyond recognition. “The victims likely died instantly after inhaling highly toxic gas,” said Fire Service Director Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury, speaking to local reporters at the scene.
Despite firefighters managing to bring the main blaze under control after three hours, the adjoining chemical warehouse continued to burn into the night, sending plumes of black smoke across the city. As of 9 p.m. local time (15:00 GMT), officials said the fire had not been fully extinguished.
Families Desperate for News
As firefighters battled the flames, distraught families gathered outside the charred factory gates, clutching photographs of their missing loved ones. Many had rushed to the scene as soon as news of the fire broke.
“I heard about the fire and came running,” said Abdur Rahman, a father desperately searching for his 22-year-old daughter, Farzana Akhter, who worked on the factory’s second floor. “I still haven’t found her. I just want my daughter back,” he told Reuters, his voice breaking with emotion.
Images from the site showed heartbroken relatives crying and holding up printed photos of the missing. Some stood silently, staring at the blackened building as firefighters moved in and out, while others called their loved ones’ phones repeatedly—hoping for an answer that never came.
Toxic Chemicals Fueled the Fire
Officials have not yet determined what caused the blaze, or which of the two buildings—the garment factory or the adjacent chemical warehouse—caught fire first. However, witnesses said the warehouse contained highly flammable materials such as bleaching powder, hydrogen peroxide, and plastic, all of which can intensify fires and release poisonous gases when burned.
“The warehouse was full of chemicals that made it difficult for us to contain the fire quickly,” said Chowdhury, adding that the noxious smoke made rescue operations extremely dangerous. Firefighters wore protective masks as they fought the blaze, but thick clouds of smoke and explosions from chemical containers hampered their efforts.
Authorities are now investigating whether the warehouse was operating legally and if it followed proper safety standards. Police and military officers have launched a search for the owners of both the factory and the warehouse, who have reportedly gone missing since the fire broke out.
Recurring Tragedies in Bangladesh’s Industrial Sector
Fires and industrial accidents are tragically common in Bangladesh, particularly in the garment and manufacturing sectors that power the country’s economy. Experts say lax safety regulations, poor enforcement, and the presence of illegal factories contribute to frequent disasters.
“Many factories are built in violation of safety codes, often in residential or overcrowded industrial areas,” said Anisur Rahman, an industrial safety consultant in Dhaka. “When a fire starts, workers have little chance to escape.”
Bangladesh’s garment industry is one of the largest in the world, employing over four million workers, most of them women, and supplying major Western brands. But despite the industry’s global importance, safety standards have long been criticized as inadequate.
A History of Deadly Fires and Collapses
The Mirpur blaze is only the latest in a series of deadly industrial disasters that have scarred Bangladesh’s history.
In 2021, a fire at a food and beverage factory in Rupganj, near Dhaka, killed at least 52 people and injured 20 more. Investigations revealed that the factory had no emergency exits, and workers were trapped behind locked doors as the flames spread rapidly.
Two years earlier, in 2019, a massive fire swept through the historic Chawkbazar district of Dhaka, killing at least 78 people, including members of a bridal party. The blaze was fueled by chemicals stored illegally in residential buildings.
The country’s worst-ever industrial tragedy occurred in 2013, when the Rana Plaza garment factory complex collapsed due to structural failures. The disaster claimed more than 1,100 lives and injured thousands, sparking global outrage and leading to widespread demands for reform in workplace safety standards.
Calls for Accountability and Reform
Following Tuesday’s fire, labor rights groups and safety advocates renewed calls for stricter enforcement of building codes and stronger oversight of industrial zones. Many are urging the government to hold factory owners accountable for negligence and to ensure that emergency exits and fire safety measures are mandatory in all workplaces.
“Every time such a tragedy happens, we hear promises of reform,” said Shirin Akhter, a labor rights activist in Dhaka. “But without real accountability, these incidents will keep repeating. Workers’ lives continue to be treated as disposable.”
Officials have pledged to conduct a thorough investigation into the Mirpur fire, including the legality of the chemical warehouse and whether both facilities met the required safety standards. The results of the inquiry are expected within weeks.
A Nation in Mourning
As the city of Dhaka wakes to another day, the air still smells of smoke, and the grief remains heavy. For many families, the waiting continues — to identify the victims, to receive news of the missing, and to find answers about how another preventable tragedy unfolded.
Outside the ruins of the Mirpur factory, a woman sobbed quietly, clutching a photograph of her son who worked on the factory floor. “He called me every day after work,” she whispered. “Yesterday, he didn’t.”
The Mirpur fire is yet another stark reminder of the cost of neglect in one of the world’s most vital but vulnerable industries — a tragedy that Bangladesh cannot afford to repeat.