At least eight people, including women, were killed and more than 12 others injured today after a devastating fire broke out in a plastic factory in Bangladesh's capital.
The fire at the five-storey plastic goods manufacturing factory in Mirpur started at around 5:45 pm (local time) and was brought under control in around two hours.
The police have recovered eight bodies from the spot, Asaduzzaman Mia, Dhaka Metropolitan Police chief, said.
Four bodies were taken to the Suhrawardy Medical College and Hospitals. Three to the Dhaka Medical College and Hospital and one to National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation.
"Four bodies were brought here. Two of them are of a female and a male. The rest of them are charred beyond recognition," SMCH's doctor Ahmedul Kabir was quoted as saying by the bdnews24.Com.
The cause of the fire is yet to be known, but firefighters suspect it might have been triggered by the exploding of a gas cylinder.
Fire Service Director General Ali Ahammed Khan said the death toll might rise.
Around 20 firefighting units were pressed into service to bring the blaze under control.
Bangladesh ids prone to fires as the country's factories lack safety standards and fire-fighting tools.
In November 2012, at least 111 garment workers were killed when a blaze devastated a nine-storey garment factory outside Dhaka.
