Tragic Fire at Bangladesh Garment Factory Claims 16 Lives

Thu Oct 16 2025 14:12:42 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

A devastating fire at a garment factory in Dhaka, Bangladesh has resulted in at least 16 fatalities, with the death toll likely to rise. Families are anxiously searching for their missing loved ones as investigations into safety regulations commence.

A massive fire in a Dhaka garment factory has led to at least 16 confirmed deaths, with many families still searching for missing relatives. The fire, exacerbated by unsafe conditions, has reignited concerns over industrial safety in Bangladesh, a country with a history of deadly workplace accidents.

At least 16 people have died after a huge fire broke out at a garment factory in Bangladesh, raising fears that the death toll could increase. Authorities have recovered 16 bodies, which will undergo DNA testing before being returned to their families due to the severe burns.

Onlookers, some holding photographs of missing relatives, gathered outside the four-storey factory located in Dhaka's Mirpur area as firefighters struggled to extinguish the flames.

The fire erupted around midday and was controlled after approximately three hours, but an adjacent chemical warehouse remained ablaze.

In densely populated Bangladesh, large fires are a common occurrence, often attributed to poor safety standards and inadequate infrastructure, and hundreds have lost their lives in similar incidents over the years.

As of Tuesday night, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not yet been fully extinguished, and fire service officials are investigating which building ignited first. Eyewitnesses noted that the warehouse contained materials like bleaching powder and hydrogen peroxide, which could intensify fires.

Most casualties appear to have resulted from inhaling toxic fumes, compounded by locked exits. The fire service's director remarked that victims likely perished quickly from exposure to these poisonous gases.

A ongoing investigation is underway to determine whether the affected warehouse held the necessary licenses and safety clearances for operation. Reports indicate that the warehouse lacked both occupancy certification and fire safety clearance.

Families of the victims are in mourning, with tearful relatives seeking information about those still unaccounted for. One father, searching for his daughter Farzana Akhter, expressed his devastation: When I heard about the fire, I came running. But I still haven't found her... I just want my daughter back.

Bangladesh has a grim history of industrial disasters. The last few years have seen numerous tragedies, including a fatal fire in a food factory in 2021 that killed at least 52 people and a 2013 collapse of the Rana Plaza building that claimed over 1,100 lives.