Fire at Bangladesh food processing factory kills three

At least three workers were killed and dozens injured after a fire broke out at a food processing factory near the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka, police and rescue forces said on Thursday.

The fire broke out at the ground floor of the six-storey factory building of Sajeeb Food and Beverage Limited in the afternoon, police officer Mohammad Shahed said.

The accident site is located nearly 25 kilometres east of Dhaka.

Rescue forces found the bodies of two female workers who died after they jumped from the third floor, said Zayedul Alam, chief of the district police.

Emergency forces also rescued 12 workers trapped on the second and third floors of the building, he said, adding that many others had managed to escape the blaze on their own.

Television footage shows survivors saying they broke open a padlocked gate to escape the blaze soon after they heard the fire alarm. At least 1,000 employees were inside the factory when the fire broke out in the afternoon, they said.

The third victim died at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), where 10 people are currently undergoing treatment, said Bacchu Mia, an officer at a DMCH police outpost.

He said sixteen others were sent to a private hospital for treatment, he added.

Fire Service and Civil Defence official Arefin Siddique said 17 fire engines were working to douse the flames that had engulfed the entire building in more than five hours.

The reason for the blaze was not clear yet, he said.