Hasan Raza / AP
Bangladeshi firefighters battle a fire at a garment factory in the Savar neighborhood in Dhaka, Bangladesh, late Saturday.
By NBC News wire services
DHAKA, Bangladesh -- At least 120 people were killed as a fire swept through a garment factory on the outskirts of Bangladesh's capital, the chief of the fire brigade said Sunday.
The fire at the nine-story factory in the Ashulia industrial belt started on the ground floor late Saturday and quickly spread, trapping hundreds of workers.
"This morning we have recovered 120 dead bodies and the death toll could rise," Abu Nayeem Mohammad Shahidullah, director general of the fire brigade, told reporters.
Fire department Operations Director Maj. Mohammad Mahbub told The Associated Press that?the nine-story factory was operated by Tazreen Fashions.
Witnesses said the workers, mostly women, ran for safety as the fire engulfed the plant, but were unable to come out through narrow exits.
"Many jumped out from the windows and were injured, or died on the spot," said Milon, a resident.?"We are appalled to see the charred bodies coming out of the factory since last night. It was an endless stream."
Mahbub said army soldiers and border guards had been deployed to help police keep the situation under control as thousands of anxious relatives of the factory workers gathered at the scene.?
Bangladesh has around 4,500 garment factories that make clothes for such ?brands as Tesco, Wal-Mart, JC Penney, H&M, Marks & Spencer, Kohl's and Carrefour.
Bangladesh is the world's biggest exporter of clothing after China, with garments making up 80 percent of its $24 billion annual exports.?
But safety standards at the factories are poor and not enforced strictly, causing scores of accidents each year.?
Saturday's fire was the worst in years, and rescuers and police said the death count may surpass any previous toll.?
This article includes reporting by Reuters and The Associated Press.
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