At least 16 people were killed and several others injured in a fire that broke out at a chemical warehouse and a garment factory in Shialbari, Mirpur in the capital on Tuesday.
Fire service officials confirmed the death toll at a press briefing this evening.
The identities of the victims are yet to be known. The injured have been admitted to the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery and the bodies of the deceased have been sent to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
The blaze, which started at around 11:45am, was brought under control after about three hours of effort.
Fire Service and Civil Defence Director (Operations and Maintenance) Lt Col Tajul Islam Chowdhury said 12 firefighting units were dispatched to the scene.
As the fire at the chemical warehouse is yet to be fully doused, the area remains extremely risky and no one is being allowed near the factory, he said, urging everyone to stay at least 300 yards away from the fire site.
Members from the Bangladesh Army, police and the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) are at the scene to support the rescue operation.
Meanwhile, in a condolence message, Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus expressed grief over the deaths and directed the authorities concerned to investigate the cause of the fire and provide necessary assistance to the victims.
Talha Bin Jashim, an official at the Fire Service and Civil Defence's media cell, said bleaching powder, plastic and hydrogen peroxide were stored inside the warehouse.
Officials of the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE) have claimed that they had no knowledge or approval record of the chemical warehouse in Mirpur where a fire killed at least 16 people.
Atiqur Rahman, deputy inspector general (DIG) of DIFE's Dhaka region, said, "We only learned that the fire occurred in a chemical warehouse. However, we could not identify who owns the establishment.
"There is no record with us that a chemical warehouse existed there. It is impossible for us to know if someone sets up a warehouse like this inside a residential building."
Labour Inspector Md Ahsan Jamil echoed the statement, adding, "We are still unable to trace the owners of the chemical warehouse."
Under the law, any factory or establishment storing chemicals must obtain prior approval from DIFE.
Engineer Farid Ahmed, joint inspector general (JIG) of DIFE, said, "Whether it is a factory or not, any chemical warehouse must be approved by DIFE according to the law."
When asked why such warehouses fall outside DIFE's monitoring, a senior official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, "There are millions of such establishments and factories in Dhaka. In practice, it is difficult to monitor all of them."
Meanwhile, sources also said the garment factory is not a member of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA).
