Overview

• Fire Service officials confirmed 16 bodies were recovered from the garment facility, with several injured admitted to Dhaka’s National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery.
• Firefighters brought the factory section under control while operations continued to contain the adjacent chemical warehouse storing bleaching powder, plastic and hydrogen peroxide.
• Authorities said many victims likely died from toxic-gas inhalation produced by chemicals inside the buildings.
• Investigators reported conflicting accounts on the origin of the blaze, with some statements pointing to the factory’s third floor and others to the nearby chemical storage.
• Police and army units are trying to locate the factory owners as investigators examine whether the chemical depot had a valid operating licence, with DNA testing planned to identify victims.