At least 31 people have died in a huge blaze at a packaging factory in Bangladesh, which firefighters are battling to contain.

Around 100 people were working at the site when the fire started in the boiler room of the Tampaco Foils factory in the industrial town of Tongi, north of the country's capital Dhaka.

Seventy people were injured, many of them in a critical condition, according to Parvez Mia, a doctor at the Tongi government hospital.

Image: Factory fires and accidents are common in Bangladesh, especially in its massive garment industry

At least 12 people are still missing and police have warned there may still be workers trapped inside the four-storey building.

There may also have been chemicals stored on the ground floor, which officials say would explain how the fire spread so rapidly after it started at 6am local time.


Image: Around 70 people have been injured and 25 killed, officials said

Mohammad Rokon, 35, was one of those who escaped the fire with minor injuries.

He said: "I was working inside the office room when I heard an explosion and felt a tremor.

Image: A boiler explosion may be to blame for the fire and badly-stored chemicals may have hastened its spread

"Then suddenly the ceiling started to fall on me.

"I almost became unconscious but I forced myself to go out with the help of my phone's flashlight."

Image: The factory is in the Tongi industrial zone, about 12 miles north of Dhaka

The fire comes as many people prepared to celebrate the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha.

The packaging factory supplies brands including British American Tobacco and Nestle Bangladesh, according to its website.

Image: There were about 100 people inside the building when the fire started

An investigation into the fire has been launched by Bangladesh's factory inspection department.

Fires and accidents are common in Bangladeshi factories, particularly in the clothing industry, which is the world's second-largest.

Image: The Tampaco Foils factory supplies British American Tobacco and Nestle, among others

Workers have little chance of escape, with building regulations rarely enforced, chemicals badly stored and many fire exits blocked or padlocked to prevent theft.

Image: Firefighters are still struggling to contain the blaze

Four years ago at least 111 workers were killed in a fire at a nine-storey garment factory in the Ashulia industrial area.

Six months later, 1,138 people died after the Rana Plaza clothing factory collapsed.