Mirpur Mayhem: Massive Blaze at Chemical Factory Claims Nine Lives

A devastating fire at a chemical warehouse and garment factory named Cosmic Pharma in Shialbari, Mirpur, Dhaka, has claimed the lives of nine people and left eight others severely injured. The blaze, which broke out late Monday morning, remains uncontained despite continuous efforts by 11 firefighting units at the scene.

The confirmation of the casualties came around 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 14, from Talha Bin Jashim, Media Officer of the Fire Service and Civil Defence Directorate. “The death toll may rise further,” he cautioned, adding that the identities of the deceased could not yet be confirmed.

Dr. Shawon Bin Rahman, Resident Surgeon of the Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery, said that three of the injured victims have been admitted to the institute for treatment.

Lieutenant Colonel Tajul Islam, Director (Operations) of the Fire Service, reported that nine bodies were recovered from the second floor of the garment factory.

According to eyewitnesses, the fire erupted around 11:40 a.m. following an explosion inside the garment factory, quickly spreading to the adjacent chemical storage facility. The seven-storey factory reportedly contained large quantities of bleaching powder, plastic, and hydrogen peroxide, which fueled the flames.

Talha Bin Jashim said that five fire units initially reached the site at 11:56 a.m., followed by six additional units. “The fire is proving difficult to control due to the chemical substances stored inside, but our personnel are doing their utmost,” he added around 3:00 p.m.

To manage the growing crowd of onlookers, army personnel were deployed at the site, later joined by volunteers, university students, police, RAB, and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) teams assisting in rescue operations.