Tragic Clothing Factory Blaze in Bangladesh Has Taken no Fewer than 16 Fatalities
At least 16 persons have lost their lives after a massive fire broke out at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services stating that the number of victims could climb.
16 bodies have been retrieved but were burned impossible to identify, the fire department said.
Distraught relatives assembled outside the multi-story factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on Tuesday in seeking their loved ones still missing.
The inferno, which erupted at the factory around noon, was brought under control after multiple hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse kept burning, authorities said.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, journalistic accounts said.
Emergency responders have not established which of the two buildings ignited initially.
Per witnesses, the chemical warehouse contained bleaching powder, plastic materials and chemical peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Synthetic materials also produces toxic fumes when combusted.
Security personnel are still searching for the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the department director briefed journalists.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also currently underway, he mentioned.
Crying family members waited outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their lost relatives.
Among them is a man searching desperately for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I was informed of the fire, I came running. But I still haven't found her... I just want my loved one back," he stated to reporters.
The devastating event has once again emphasized the safety concerns facing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which engages numerous of workers and is a major source of foreign revenue for the nation.