Smoke and gas from chemical fire caught and killed factory employees
At least 16 people have been killed and plenty of others were injured in a fire at a clothing manufacturing facility and adjoining chemicals warehouse in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on 14 October. The purpose of the fire is unknown, however news reports suggest that the fire broke out on the third floor of the seven-storey clothing factory, earlier than spreading to the chemical warehouse next door.
According to Reuters and other news reviews, the warehouse was storing a combination of flammable materials such as plastics, as well as oxidizing materials consisting bleaching powder and hydrogen peroxide. The resulting extreme fire produced large quantities of poisonous smoke, with fire crews verifying most of the victims had died from gas and smoke inhalation rather than burns. Officials also stated a locked door that barred access to the roof contributed to the deaths, that means employees trapped by smoke and fire on lower floors of the factory could not break out. Workers in surrounding buildings had been also impacted by smoke, leading government to order temporary shutdown of nearby factories.
The legal status of the chemical warehouse has not been officially verified, even though fire service officials stated there have been hints it was working illegally. A full investigation into the cause of the fire and the status of the warehouse is underway.
