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1st LD: 10 killed in devastating fire in Bangladeshi capital

Xinhua, February 1, 2015 Adjust font size:

A major fire engulfed a plastic packaging factory in Dhaka's downtown Mirpur area on Saturday, leaving 10 people dead and several others injured, said a police officer.

"We have come to know that 10 bodies have been kept at the morgue of state-run Dhaka Medical College Hospital," said the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) officer who declined to be unnamed.

Officials said the fire started at about 5:25 p.m. local time ( 1125 GMT) at the Nasim Plaza, a six-story complex housing the plastic factory.

They added the death toll might rise as the condition of several of injured remained critical.

About 70 workers were reportedly inside the building when the blaze broke out.

The cause of the fire could not be known immediately, but sources said it was triggered by a boiler explosion. Endi