A devastating fire at a garment factory in Dhaka, Bangladesh, has resulted in the deaths of at least 16 individuals, with the toll potentially increasing as recovery efforts continue. The tragic incident also affected an adjacent chemical warehouse, intensifying the disaster’s impact. Fire service director Tajul Islam Chowdhury confirmed that most of the casualties were found on the second and third floors of the factory, and operations to retrieve victims are ongoing.
The fire broke out at midday, initially igniting on the third floor of the four-story building located in the Mirpur area. Reports indicate that the flames quickly spread to the neighboring chemical warehouse, which housed hazardous materials such as bleaching powder and hydrogen peroxide. Firefighters managed to control the blaze at the factory after almost three hours, but the fire at the warehouse persisted.
Witness accounts paint a harrowing scene outside the factory, where grief-stricken families gathered, desperately searching for missing loved ones. One distraught father recounted his agonizing search for his daughter, who worked at the factory, highlighting the emotional toll this tragedy has inflicted on the community.
Chowdhury noted that the factory’s owners have not yet been located, with police and military personnel tasked with finding them. Alarmingly, neither the garment factory nor the chemical warehouse was operating under a fire safety plan or had the necessary approvals, raising concerns about compliance with safety regulations. He mentioned that the factory was designed with a locked grilled door and a tin roof, which severely hindered the workers’ ability to escape.
The fire at the factory was exacerbated by a chemical explosion that ignited a flashover, releasing toxic gases that incapacitated many of the workers, trapping them with no exit routes available. The devastating injuries sustained by the victims may require DNA testing for identification due to the extent of their burns.
In response to this tragedy, Muhammad Yunus, the head of Bangladesh’s interim government, expressed profound sorrow and urged for thorough investigations to assist the victims and their families. The country’s poor fire and building safety standards have unfortunately led to similar disasters in the past. Notably, incidents such as the 2012 Tazreen Fashions fire, which claimed the lives of 112 workers, and the 2013 Rana Plaza building collapse that killed 1,135, have drawn international scrutiny over the conditions within Bangladesh’s garment industry.
With the garment sector being a critical component of Bangladesh’s economy, employing approximately 4 million people and contributing over 10% to the national GDP, these recurring disasters not only threaten lives but also tarnish the industry’s global reputation. The hope remains that this tragic incident will spur renewed commitments to enforce stricter safety regulations and improve working conditions in the sector, ultimately safeguarding the lives of thousands employed in this vital industry.
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