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Published : 15 Oct 2025, 01:27 AM
The deadly fire at a chemical warehouse in Mirpur’s Rupnagar may take “several days” to be fully extinguished, according Fire Service Director General Brig Gen Muhammad Jahed Kamal.
He said the blaze is under control but not completely out yet.
A specialist team from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) will inspect the site on Wednesday to decide the next steps.
Some firefighters will stay overnight at the scene to act immediately if the fire flares up again.
Fire Service chief spoke at the site around 11pm on Tuesday, nearly 12 hours after the fire broke out.
In response to a question, he said: “There is still smoke coming from the area because of the chemicals stored there. We need some time.
“Different types of chemicals are involved, and their combinations vary.”
Jahed added, “Chemical accidents require time to handle and follow a specific protocol. We are following it, so it might take a few days.”
“A BUET representative team will come in the morning. Once they assess, we will decide our next move.”
When asked if the fire has been fully put out, the director general replied, “The fire is under control but cannot be declared extinguished yet. Unlike other fires, this one cannot be quickly doused.
“Rushing could cause accidents. The Tongi fire took seven to eight days to be put out.”
“We are trying to understand the situation better and will be able to say how much time it will take later,” he added. “The safety of local residents and our personnel is our top priority. We do not want any more damage to occur.”
The fire broke out around 11:45am on Tuesday at the chemical warehouse and an adjacent garment factory in Shialbari. Twelve fire service units responded and worked to control the blaze.
By Tuesday night, 16 charred bodies had been recovered from the second and third floors of the garment factory building. Identification will require DNA tests.
Lt Col Md Tajul Islam Chowdhury, Fire Service director (Operations and Maintenance), said at the site around 6:45pm that the building’s roof was made of tin sheets, with a locked grill door preventing access to the roof.
He explained, “Due to the chemical explosion and flashover, toxic gas caused people inside to lose consciousness suddenly. They were trapped and could neither move up nor down.”
Jahed also confirmed that neither the garment factory nor the chemical warehouse had proper permissions.
He urged relevant authorities to be vigilant about unlicensed establishments.
