2025 Dhaka garment factory fire

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2025 Dhaka garment factory fire
Timec. 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. BST
Location Mirpur Thana, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Type Fire, chemical accident
CauseUnder investigation
Deaths16
Non-fatal injuriesmultiple
Property damage Garment factory
Chemical warehouse

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. 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. [1] [2] [3] [4]

Contents

Background

Bangladesh has the world's second largest garment industry after China, making up over 10% of the country's gross domestic product, earning about $40 billion a year from exports, mainly to the United States and Europe, and employing approximately 4 million workers, mostly women. [1] [3] [4] Since the Rana Plaza collapse in 2013, the most fatal industrial accident in the history of Bangladesh, which caused 1,134 deaths and whose building maintained several factories, the working conditions have been improved. [4]

Large fires are relatively common in the densely populated country, frequently attributed to lax safety standards and inadequate infrastructure. [3] Hundreds of people have been lost their lives in similar incidents over the decades. [2]

Fire

According to eyewitness, the fire occurred between 11 a.m. 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. [1] [2]

Local media reported that up until 9 p.m., the warehouse continued to burn, despite the blaze at the factory had been extinguished after three hours. [2] 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. [1] [2] He added that neither the factory nor the warehouse had any fire safety plan. [1]

Preliminary analysis showed the factory had a tin roof with a locked grilled door, impeding the workers to reach the upper level. [1]

Reactions

Outside the buildings, family members were seen gathered waiting for information, with many of them holding photos of the relatives. [1] [2] [3] [4]

The chief adviser Muhammad Yunus-led interim government of Bangladesh expressed its condolences and urged authorities to investigate and support victims and families. [1]

As part of the investigation, police and military officers have begun searches to locate the owners of the factory and the warehouse. [2] [1]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Paul, Ruma (14 October 2025). "Bangladesh garment factory fire kills 16, toll may rise". Reuters . Retrieved 15 October 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Ng, Kelly (15 October 2025). "Bangladesh garment factory fire kills at least 16". BBC News . Retrieved 15 October 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Death toll rises to 16 after factory fire in Bangladesh capital". Associated Press . 14 October 2025. Retrieved 15 October 2025.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Hasnat, Saif (14 October 2025). "Bangladesh Garment Factory Fire Kills at Least 16, Official Says". The New York Times . Retrieved 15 October 2025.
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