Tragic Clothing Factory Fire in Bangladesh Takes at Least 16 Lives
At least 16 persons have died after a massive fire broke out at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with officials warning that the number of victims could rise.
16 bodies have been retrieved but were charred beyond recognition, the firefighters stated.
Grief-stricken relatives converged outside the four-level factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on that day in seeking their dear ones still missing.
The blaze, which erupted at the factory around lunchtime, was extinguished after multiple hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse continued to burn, officials reported.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, news sources reported.
Emergency responders have not established which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Based on bystanders, the chemical warehouse contained chemical bleaching agents, plastic and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Plastic also emits poisonous gases when ignited.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still attempting to find the owners of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury informed journalists.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also ongoing, he added.
Tearful family members waited outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man searching desperately for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I was informed of the fire, I came running. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my loved one back," he expressed to journalists.
The devastating event has yet again underscored the security issues plaguing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which engages countless of workers and is a significant provider of foreign revenue for the South Asian economy.
