• At least 16 people have died following a fire at a garment factory in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
• The cause of the fire is still under investigation and may be linked to illegal operations.
• The incident raises ongoing concerns regarding fire safety in the garment industry.

A fire broke out on Tuesday at a garment factory and an adjacent chemical warehouse in Dhaka, Bangladesh, killing at least 16 people and injuring several others, with rescue efforts ongoing. Fire service officials reported recovering bodies from the second and third floors of the seven-storey building, while the cause of the fire remains unknown, according to India Times, South China Morning Post, and TRT Global.

The fire reportedly started on the third floor of the garment factory around midday and quickly spread to the chemical warehouse, which was storing flammable materials such as bleaching powder and hydrogen peroxide. The fire was brought under control after nearly three hours, but it continued to burn at the warehouse, according to fire service director Tajul Islam Chowdhury, cited by Reuters and BBC.

Tajul Islam Chowdhury also pointed out that the factory owners had not yet been identified. Investigations are underway to determine whether the chemical warehouse operated legally, as preliminary reports suggest it may not have had the proper licenses, according to multiple sources including India Times and Reuters.

This tragic event reiterates the pressing issues surrounding fire safety in Bangladesh's textile sector, which employs approximately 4 million people and significantly contributes to the nation's economy. Poor safety standards have led to numerous similar incidents in the past, raising alarms over industry regulations, as reported by BBC, TRT Global, and Reuters.