The death toll from the fire rose to 25 as another victim is said to have died at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital earlier today.
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There were about 100 people inside the factory when the explosion occurred on Saturday, and majority were to leave for a week-long holiday for the festival.
Almost 70 people were injured in the fire triggered by explosion, said the official and they were rushed to different local hospitals where another 10 people succumbed to their injuries, he added. “I am simultaneously feeling lucky and heartbroken”, he said, tears streaming down his face as he helped rush the many injured to hospital, blood staining his T-shirt.
They will start their full- fledged operation to remove the debris after the Eid-ul-Azha to be celebrated tomorrow, the daily reports. He told the BBC that his brother was missing. “Now he is going to be buried there”, said Khaleda Begum, the sister of a worker killed in the accident.
“At night the fire spread to other floors where huge amounts of chemicals and other flammable items were stored for use in packaging”, Bhoumik said.
Tampaco Foils, which owns the five-storey factory, packages various items for several global brands, including Nestle and British American Tobacco.
Factory fires are common in Bangladesh, where safety conditions are often poor.
The fire is the latest in a series of industrial accidents in the South Asian country, which is the world’s second biggest garment exporter behind China.
The deputy inspector general of factory inspection said that authorities also plan to file cases against the company and its owner for violating building and safety codes. In 2012, a fire at a garment factory in a Dhaka suburb killed 112 workers.
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“The building is hot and it is not possible to enter”, said Mr Ajit Kumar Bhoumik, a senior official with the fire department, early yesterday.
