Death toll from Mirpur fire rises to 16

The death toll from the devastating fire at a chemical warehouse in Mirpur's Rupnagar area, has risen to 16, according to Fire Service and Civil Defence.

Talha Bin Jasim, an official at the Fire Service headquarters’ media cell, confirmed the updated figure on Tuesday night.

“The number of fatalities in the Rupnagar fire incident has increased to 16. Initially, nine bodies were recovered, and later, seven more were found during the ongoing operation,” he said.

Fire Service Director (Operations and Maintenance) Lieutenant Colonel Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury told reporters that 16 bodies have so far been recovered from inside the garment factory. The bodies were found on the second and third floors of the factory.

He said the chemical godown fire is yet to be brought under control and will take more time. The godown contained six to seven types of chemicals, which caused the fire to spread rapidly. As a result, the workers inside the factory could neither escape nor reach the rooftop, leading to their deaths.

The fire broke out around 11:40 AM on Tuesday at Shialbari area of Rupnagar, Mirpur.

The building reportedly housed both a garment factory and a chemical warehouse.

According to Fire Service and Civil Defence, at least 16 people have been confirmed dead as of 7:15 PM Tuesday evening.

It is feared that most victims died of suffocation caused by toxic smoke and gases. Several others were injured or burnt, three of whom have been admitted to the National Burn Institute for treatment.

After receiving the fire alert, multiple fire service units rushed to the scene.

Over 12 units were deployed to bring the blaze under control.

However, the presence of chemicals and thick smoke made it extremely difficult for firefighters to enter the building and carry out rescue operations.