He said the fire service was trying to put out of the fire caused by the explosion.
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Factory electrician Mohammad Rokon, 35, escaped with minor injuries.
“I was working in the office room when I heard an explosion and felt a tremor”.
“I nearly became unconscious but I forced myself to go out with the help of my phone’s flashlight”.
Almost 70 people were injured in the fire triggered by explosion, said the official.
The incident took place as Bangladesh was preparing for a week-long holiday for the Islamic festival of Eid al-Adha that falls on Tuesday. In 2012, a fire at a garment factory in a Dhaka suburb killed 112 workers.
Islam said chemicals were allegedly stored on the ground floor.
Over 20 firefighting units are working to bring the fire under control.
Tampaco’s website says its clients include several local companies and global brands including British American Tobacco and Nestle.
“Atikul Islam said he could not reach his brother Rafikul Islam over phone after the accident and went to the Tongi hospital”.
“We have launched investigation. the persons responsible for the accident, the owner of the factory in particular, will face stern legal action”, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said.
“The building is hot and it is not possible to enter”, said Ajit Kumar Bhoumik, a senior official with the fire department, early on Sunday.
Dhaka – State Minister for Labour and Manpower Mujibul Haque on Saturday announced a small package of compensation for the victims of the explosion-triggered fire at a packaging factory in Tongi.
Weak fire protection systems are common in factories in Bangladesh, where more than 1,100 workers died in a 2013 building collapse that ranks as the country’s worst industrial disaster. The Rana Plaza tragedy triggered worldwide outrage and put pressure on European and USA clothing brands to improve pay and conditions at the factories that supply them.
Police are still concerned other workers may still be trapped inside the factory.
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The disaster led to the creation of two worldwide coalitions created to help fund improvements to building and fire safety at thousands of garment factories across Bangladesh.
