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17 October 2025
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Bangladesh garment factory fire kills at least 16
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On 14 October 2025, a fire broke out on the third floor of a garment factory nearby a chemical warehouse located in the Mirpur area, Dhaka, capital of Bangladesh, killing at least 16 people and injuring several others. According to eyewitness, the fire occurred between 11am and midday local time, on the third floor of a four-storey factory, spreading to a close by chemical warehouse storing chlorine powder, plastic and hydrogen peroxide. All 16 bodies were found on the second and third floors and burned beyond recognition.
At least 12 firefighting units rushed to the spot to douse the fire at around 11h40am Tuesday.
Local media reported that up until 21h00, the warehouse continued to burn, despite the fire at the factory had been extinguished after three hours.
Fire service director Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury said the victims probably died "instantly" after inhaling "highly toxic gas". "The chemical explosion caused a flashover that released toxic gas, leaving many unconscious and trapping them inside. They couldn't escape either upward or downward," he said. It was unclear what chemicals were housed in the warehouse. He added that neither the factory nor the warehouse had any fire safety plan.
The fire service said that the chemical warehouse had no fire safety clearance or licence from their department.
Preliminary analysis showed the factory had a tin roof with a locked grilled door, impeding the workers to reach the upper level.
Large fires are relatively common in the densely populated country, frequently attributed to lax safety standards and inadequate infrastructure. Hundreds of people have been lost their lives in similar incidents over the decades. The blaze was the deadliest since 2022, when a container depot caught fire and exploded in Sitakunda Upazila, Chittagong District, killed at least 47 people.
Sources: BBC, Reuters, Associated Press, Xinhau News
At least 12 firefighting units rushed to the spot to douse the fire at around 11h40am Tuesday.
Local media reported that up until 21h00, the warehouse continued to burn, despite the fire at the factory had been extinguished after three hours.
Fire service director Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury said the victims probably died "instantly" after inhaling "highly toxic gas". "The chemical explosion caused a flashover that released toxic gas, leaving many unconscious and trapping them inside. They couldn't escape either upward or downward," he said. It was unclear what chemicals were housed in the warehouse. He added that neither the factory nor the warehouse had any fire safety plan.
The fire service said that the chemical warehouse had no fire safety clearance or licence from their department.
Preliminary analysis showed the factory had a tin roof with a locked grilled door, impeding the workers to reach the upper level.
Large fires are relatively common in the densely populated country, frequently attributed to lax safety standards and inadequate infrastructure. Hundreds of people have been lost their lives in similar incidents over the decades. The blaze was the deadliest since 2022, when a container depot caught fire and exploded in Sitakunda Upazila, Chittagong District, killed at least 47 people.
Sources: BBC, Reuters, Associated Press, Xinhau News
