The bodies of 16 people who died in a devastating fire at a chemical warehouse and garment factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on Tuesday will be handed over to their families soon after proper identification, officials said on Wednesday.

Brig Gen Md Asaduzzaman, director of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), said the unidentified bodies will later be transferred to Anjuman Mofidul Islam.

He said the victims include nine men and seven women, all of whom were brought to the hospital following the fire. “Many of the bodies were severely burnt, making identification extremely difficult. So far, 10 relatives have claimed the bodies of their family members,” he added.

Mirpur Factory Fire: Bodies of 16 people taken to DMCH

Emphasising the importance of proper identification, he said the hospital, in coordination with the district administration and police, will not hand over any dead body without verification.

“We have decided to collect DNA samples from all victims. The bodies will then be released to those who have claimed them. Unclaimed bodies will be kept for a few days before being handed over to Anjuman Mofidul Islam,” Asaduzzaman said.

The hospital director also noted that police are assisting in expediting the process. “We will try to ensure that claimed bodies are delivered to families with administrative support as soon as possible,” he added.

The fire broke out around 11:30am at the four-storey ‘Anwar Fashion’ garment factory and an adjacent tin-shed chemical warehouse. Locals said the blaze started on the factory’s ground floor and quickly spread to the chemical warehouse, triggering loud explosions that engulfed all four floors.

DNA tests may need to identify Shialbari 16 fire victims: Fire Service

Workers tried to escape, but many were trapped. The Fire Service said the chemical warehouse contained bleaching powder, plastic, and hydrogen peroxide.

By 7:15pm on Tuesday, rescue teams had recovered the charred bodies of 16 victims from the scene.