At least five bodies have been recovered following a devastating fire at a gas lighter factory in Keraniganj on Saturday, with fears that the death toll may rise, according to the Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defence.
The fire broke out around 1:11 pm at a factory located near Al Baraka Hospital in the Kadamtali intersection area of Keraniganj. Firefighters brought the blaze under control after nearly one and a half hours of intense effort.
Quoting officials, The Daily Industry reported that Inspector Md Anwarul Islam from the Fire Service media cell confirmed the recovery of five bodies by 4:00 pm.
“We have so far recovered five bodies from the site. It is difficult to determine whether the victims are male or female due to the condition of the remains. Efforts are underway to identify them,” he said, adding that the number of fatalities could increase as rescue operations continue.
According to Fire Service sources, three units initially responded to the emergency within five minutes of receiving the alert. Subsequently, four additional units joined the operation, bringing the total to seven firefighting units.
The blaze was eventually contained around 2:30 pm after sustained efforts by the firefighters.
The Daily Industry further noted that the factory’s proximity to a hospital and its location in a densely populated industrial area may have contributed to the scale of the incident.
Authorities have yet to determine the cause of the fire. Rescue operations are still ongoing, and officials are continuing their search for possible survivors or additional victims inside the damaged facility.
The incident has once again raised concerns about industrial safety standards in densely populated areas around Dhaka, where small-scale factories often operate with limited oversight.
