On 14 October, a major fire broke out at a garment factory and an adjacent illegal chemical warehouse in Mirpur, Dhaka, killing at least 16 people. Many victims died from inhaling toxic gas following a chemical flashover. Fire service officials have not determined which of the two buildings caught fire first. Poor fire and building safety standards contribute to dozens of similar incidents in Bangladesh each year. Past accidents have damaged the reputation of the country’s garments sector, which employs around 4 million people and accounts for more than 10 percent of national GDP.