23 dead in explosion and fire at Bangladesh factory
NEW DELHI — A boiler exploded and triggered a fire at a packaging factory near Bangladesh’s capital on Saturday, killing at least 23 workers and injuring dozens, officials said.
Fire officials said that the explosion at the five-story Tampaco Foils Ltd. factory in the Tongi industrial area outside Dhaka was huge, and that the fire triggered by the blast spread quickly because flammable chemicals were stored at the factory.
At least six of the 14 people being treated for burns at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital were in critical condition, said Mohammed Bacchu Mia, a police official at the hospital. He confirmed that at least 23 people had died.
Local TV stations said about 50 people were injured in all. Television footage showed smoke billowing from the factory, with the fire engulfing part of the upper floors.