Mirpur Chemical Catastrophe Claims Sixteen Lives, DNA Tests Needed for Identification

Fire Service officials have said that drones and other technologies are being used to bring a massive blaze under control at “Shah Alam Chemicals,” a chemical warehouse built on a two-and-a-half-katha industrial plot in Shibbari, Rupnagar Residential Area of Mirpur, Dhaka.

Fire Service Director (Operation and Maintenance) Lieutenant Colonel Tajul Islam Chowdhury told reporters at the scene around 7:15 p.m. that sixteen people had been confirmed dead. “The bodies are so badly burned that they cannot be identified. I think it is impossible to identify them without DNA tests,” he said.

Rescue officials said all the bodies were recovered from the second and third floors of an adjacent garment factory building. They believe that after the fire broke out in the warehouse on Tuesday afternoon, toxic smoke quickly spread throughout the area, severely affecting workers in the nearby four-story garment factory.

Based on preliminary investigation, Lieutenant Colonel Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury explained, “The roof of the four-story garment factory is made of tin. There was a grilled door leading to the rooftop, but it was locked. As a result, they could not move upward. You know that the level of chemical explosion created a flashover, and due to toxic gas, they suddenly lost consciousness. Later, they could neither move up nor down.”

Tajul Islam added that the victims could not be identified immediately due to the severe burns.

He further said that the fire at the chemical warehouse had not yet been fully brought under control, and there might still be more bodies inside.

Meanwhile, the Criminal Investigation Department’s (CID) Crime Scene Unit and chemical lab experts are working at the site to collect evidence, according to an official message.

After the fire broke out, the entire area was filled with a strong chemical odor. Even with double-layered masks, it was difficult to breathe, and many complained of burning eyes. Despite the hazardous conditions, crowds of onlookers gathered at the scene, making it difficult for rescuers to continue their operations. Members of Ansar, police, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), and even the army struggled to disperse them.

Initially, Fire Service officials had said that the fire originated from a warehouse belonging to “Cosmic Pharma.” However, later updates on the Fire Service notice board identified the warehouse as “Shah Alam Chemicals.” Some local residents, on the other hand, claimed that the warehouse was known as “Alam Traders” or “Alam Chemical Factory.”

As of the time of this report, neither the owner nor any of his employees or managers could be reached by phone. Police and army personnel are reportedly trying to identify someone linked to the factory.