Chemical factory fire still not doused, over 50 fall ill from fumes

Even after 24 hours, the fire at the garment and chemical factory in Mirpur’s Shialbari has not been fully extinguished. Smoke continues to rise from the damaged building, and toxic fumes have made more than 50 people in a nearby building ill. They are now receiving treatment in hospital.

Considering the area risky, nearby offices and factories have been closed. Although some reopened on Wednesday, October 15 morning, they were later granted leave again.

More than 50 workers from several nearby factories, including Rising Group, fell ill after inhaling chemical fumes. Most of them were taken to local hospitals.

The fire broke out around 11:40am on Tuesday, October 14, at the garment factory and the chemical warehouse of Cosmic Pharma in Shialbari. Five fire service units reached the spot at 11:56am, later joined by seven more units. The blaze at the garment factory was brought under control around 9pm.

Fire Service Director (Operation and Maintenance) Lieutenant Colonel Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury said at a press conference on Tuesday night that 16 bodies were recovered from the second and third floors of the garment factory building. Many were trapped as the ground floor was engulfed in flames and both rooftop exits were locked, leaving them unable to escape.

However, smoke was still seen billowing from the chemical warehouse on Wednesday morning, according to Fire Service and Civil Defence Director General Brigadier General Mohammad Zahid Kamal.

He said BUET representatives will visit the site today to assess what types of chemicals are stored there before determining the next course of action.

The DG added, “Smoke is still coming out. Various chemicals are stored inside. There’s a difference between chemical fires and other fires — trying to extinguish them too quickly can be risky.”

“Although the fire has been put out, there’s still a chance it may reignite. We’re staying alert. Even if the situation looks safe, everyone must remain cautious,” he said.

The official further remarked that many unauthorised chemical warehouses have been established across the city. “Three firefighters were killed in the Tongi chemical warehouse fire. We don’t want such tragedies to happen again,” he said.

He also urged authorities and residents to resist the establishment of unauthorised warehouses in their localities and emphasised that everyone must follow proper safety regulations when setting up chemical storage facilities.