At least fifteen people have been killed and 70 injured, many critically, in a huge fire triggered by a boiler explosion at a Bangladeshi packaging factory.

"The death toll has risen to 15 and at least 70 people have been injured," said Parvez Mia, a doctor at the Tongi state-run hospital.

"Most of them had burn injuries. We sent the critically injured victims to the hospitals in Dhaka."

About 100 people were working when flames tore through the building following an explosion in the boiler room at the four-storey factory in the industrial town of Tongi, just north of the capital Dhaka.
Police said they were concerned many workers were still trapped inside the building.