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Dhaka, Oct 14 (PTI) At least 16 workers were killed and several others injured on Tuesday in a fire that broke out at a four-storey garment factory and a chemical warehouse in the Bangladeshi capital, officials said.

The devastating fire broke out at a chemical warehouse next to the garment factory in Dhaka's Rupnagar area, Talha Bin Jasim, an officer at the Fire Service and Civil Defence Media Wing, was quoted as saying by the state-run BSS news agency.

"During the search campaign, 16 bodies were recovered from the garment factory alone,” Fire Service spokesman Anwarul Islam told the agency.

He said fire was suspected to have broken out from the chemical warehouse and spread to the garments unit - Anwar Fashion Garments Factory and Shah Alam Chemical Warehouse.

“We have extinguished the fire at the garment factory, but efforts are still underway to douse the blaze at the chemical depot,” Islam said.   Fire Service and Civil Defence Director (Operation and Maintenance) Lt Col Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury confirmed the toll, but said the victims have not yet been identified.

"So far, we have recovered 16 bodies. Their faces are completely unrecognisable due to burning. Identification will only be possible through DNA testing," he told reporters in the evening.

The bodies were sent to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for identification.

"We suspect that all of them have died after inhaling toxic gas,” Chowdhury was quoted as saying by Bangla language daily Prothom Alo.

He added that the injured were admitted to Dhaka’s National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery.

"We suspect the fire began with a chemical explosion that produced poisonous gas. Many victims might have died instantly after inhaling the toxic fumes," Chowdhury was quoted as saying by the Daily Star newspaper.

"From the condition of the site and the burnt materials, it appears the initial blast came from a chemical source that released toxic gas, causing immediate fatalities," he said, adding the exact cause of the explosion would be confirmed after investigation.

Officials fear the toll may increase further. "Our search operations are still ongoing,” Chowdhury said.

He said the victims were trapped between the second and third floors.

"The roof of the building was made of tin and thatched materials, and the rooftop exit was locked with two padlocks. They could not go up, and because of the toxic gas and the flashover (sudden ignition and fire) caused by the chemical explosion, they became unconscious and died instantly," he said.

He said that the chemical warehouse remained too dangerous to enter.

"We have not started rescue operations inside the warehouse yet because it is unsafe. We are observing the situation using technology such as loop monitors and drones. The fire there has not been brought under control, and it will take more time," he added.

He said local workers informed them that six to seven types of chemicals were stored in the warehouse.

Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus said that the loss of innocent lives in such a tragic accident is "deeply painful and heartbreaking". He prayed for the swift recovery of those injured and directed the authorities to investigate the cause of the incident and ensure necessary assistance to the victims' families.

Talha said they received the report of the fire at 11:40 am (local time), and the first team arrived at the scene at 11:56 am.

The two buildings are located side by side in front of Bangladesh University of Business and Technology (BUBT) in Rupnagar, he said.

Twelve firefighting units were deployed to combat the blaze.

Bangladesh has a history of industrial disasters. Past industrial tragedies have often been attributed to safety lapses.

In 2021, a fire engulfed a food and drink factory in Bangladesh, killing at least 52 people.

In February 2019, a blaze ripped through a 400-year-old area cramped with apartments, shops and warehouses in the oldest part of Dhaka and killed at least 67 people.

In 2012, about 117 workers died when they were trapped behind locked exits in a garment factory in Dhaka.

Bangladesh's worst industrial disaster occurred the following year, when the Rana Plaza garment factory outside Dhaka collapsed, killing more than 1,100 people.

Another fire in Old Dhaka in a house illegally storing chemicals killed at least 123 people in 2010.