Deadly Clothing Factory Inferno in Bangladesh Takes a Minimum of 16 Victims
A minimum of 16 persons have lost their lives after a massive fire erupted at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with officials stating that the death toll could increase.
16 bodies have been recovered but were charred impossible to identify, the firefighters said.
Distraught relatives assembled outside the multi-story factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on Tuesday in looking for their loved ones still not found.
The blaze, which started at the factory around lunchtime, was put out after several hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse kept burning, emergency services said.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, media reports said.
Emergency responders have not established which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Per bystanders, the chemical warehouse stored industrial bleaches, plastic materials and industrial peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Polymer products also produces hazardous smoke when ignited.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still trying to locate the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the department director briefed the media.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also in progress, he noted.
Crying family members stood outside the charred buildings, many of them holding photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Present at the scene is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his family member.
"When I learned of the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still haven't found her... I just want my loved one back," he expressed to reporters.
The catastrophic occurrence has yet again underscored the security issues facing Bangladesh's garment industry, which engages numerous of workers and is a significant source of economic income for the country.
