Death toll rises to 39 in Bangladesh factory fire

With three bodies recovered Monday morning, death toll has risen to 39 in a factory fire in Bangladesh more than two weeks ago, according to local sources.

"Three bodies charred beyond recognition have been recovered from the rubble of Tampaco Foils Limited factory on Monday," said a local administration official, who did not like to be named.

A boiler explosion reportedly resulted in the devastating fire at a packaging factory in Tongi on the outskirts of the country's capital Dhaka on Sept. 10 at about 6:00 a.m. (local time).

Authorities had earlier put the number of deaths at 36.

Bangladesh Army personnel have also joined the search operation at the factory which collapsed like a sandwich.

At least 24 workers were killed on the first day of the explosion-triggered fire, the biggest industrial disaster since 2013 when the Rana Plaza building collapsed leaving over 1,130 workers dead.

A High Court division bench of Bangladesh also on Monday directed the authorities concerned to freeze the bank accounts of the owner of Tampaco Foils Limited.

Earlier Bangladesh police filed a case against 10 people including the factory's owner Syed Mokbul Hussain and his wife.

Harun Or Rashid, a senior police official, had earlier told journalists that investigators probing the fire incident have found "proof of negligence" by the owner in ensuring the factory's safety. Endit