Dhaka, Oct 14 (V7N) – The death toll from a devastating fire that broke out at a garment factory and adjacent chemical warehouse in Mirpur’s Shialbari area has risen to 16. The Fire Service and Civil Defence confirmed the updated figure on Tuesday evening.

Talha Bin Jasim, an official at the Fire Service headquarters’ media cell, said all 16 bodies have been sent to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for identification and postmortem. The victims were all recovered from inside the garment factory building, while firefighting efforts at the nearby chemical warehouse are still ongoing.

The fire erupted around 11:30 a.m. at a four-story garment factory named “R.N. Fashion” and quickly spread to an adjacent tin-shed chemical warehouse. Firefighters rushed to the scene with multiple units to bring the flames under control.

In the afternoon, Fire Service Director (Operations and Maintenance) Lt. Col. Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury told reporters that the search operation was still underway. “The chemical warehouse remains highly dangerous, and no one is being allowed to enter the area. We are using advanced technology, including drones, to assess the situation,” he said.

He added that firefighters were continuing to douse the flames with water, but the exact cause of the fire had not yet been determined.

Earlier in the afternoon, at around 4:15 p.m., the Fire Service confirmed the recovery of nine bodies. By evening, the death toll climbed to 16 as the search continued inside the building.

Witnesses said the blaze originated in the washing unit on the ground floor of the three-story garment factory before spreading rapidly to the adjacent chemical warehouse, triggering loud explosions and engulfing the entire building in flames.

A large crowd gathered around the site as family members searched frantically for missing loved ones. Many carried photographs of their relatives, hoping for news amid the chaos.

Reshma Akter, a relative of 15-year-old Asma Akter, who worked at the factory, said Asma had been missing since the fire broke out. “She lived with us in Shialbari. After the fire started, no one has been able to contact her,” she said tearfully.

Nasima Akter arrived at the scene searching for her husband, Nazrul Islam, an operator who had worked at the factory for 12 years. “When I called him after hearing about the fire, he only shouted ‘fire, fire’ before the line went dead. Since then, his phone has been switched off,” she said.

Laily Begum, searching for her sister Nargis Akter, said, “My sister arrived at work around 7:45 a.m. I received news of the fire at 11 a.m. Someone inside told me no one could escape. I haven’t heard from her since.”

Another man, Yasin, held photos of his niece Sultana and her husband Zoya, who had started working at the factory only three days earlier. “They both went to work this morning. After the fire broke out, they called to say they were trapped inside,” he said.

Shafiqul Islam, the uncle of missing worker Mahira, said, “She worked on the third floor. We have searched every nearby hospital, but she’s nowhere to be found.”

Fire officials said the search operation will continue through the night as rescue teams work to locate any remaining victims and assess the full extent of the damage. The cause of the blaze remains under investigation.

END/AJ/SMA/