Overview

• Officials said the blaze started around midday on the third floor of a seven‑storey factory in Mirpur before spreading to a neighboring chemical depot storing bleaching powder, plastic and hydrogen peroxide.
• Sixteen bodies were recovered from the factory’s second and third floors, and emergency teams warned the toll could rise as searches continue.
• Twelve firefighting units brought the factory fire under control in nearly three hours, while the warehouse blaze burned for several more hours.
• Police, the army and border guards joined rescue operations, and authorities are trying to locate the factory owners who have not been identified.
• Interim government head Muhammad Yunus offered condolences, ordered assistance for victims’ families and directed a full investigation.