Seven killed in Ashulia garment factory fire

At least seven people have died following a major explosion and fire at a garment factory in Ashulia's Jamgora area on Sunday evening.

The fire broke out at the Preeti Group's garment factory around 6:30 PM. Several loud explosions were heard inside the factory before the fire spread rapidly.

Four Fire Service units rushed to the scene and brought the fire under control after about an hour.

Ashulia Police Station Officer-in-Charge Tariqul Islam said firefighters later searched the factory and recovered the charred bodies of five people from a covered van.

Earlier, a cylinder was thrown into a nearby clothing shop by the force of the explosion, killing a woman named Zainab Begum at the scene. Another injured man, identified as Dulal, later died while undergoing treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

This brought the death toll to seven.

Fire Service and law enforcement personnel are continuing search and rescue operations to determine whether anyone else remains trapped inside the factory.

The Fire Service initially suspects that the fire originated from an explosion involving CNG cylinders inside a covered van. The exact cause of the explosion and the extent of the damage will be known after an investigation.

sks