Deadly Clothing Factory Fire in Bangladesh Takes at Least 16 Victims
No fewer than 16 individuals have died after a enormous fire broke out at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with authorities warning that the fatality count could rise.
16 bodies have been retrieved but were incinerated impossible to identify, the fire service stated.
Heartbroken relatives assembled outside the multi-story factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on that day in seeking their family members still unaccounted for.
The blaze, which started at the factory around lunchtime, was brought under control after three hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse continued to burn, authorities said.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, media reports indicated.
Fire service officials have not ascertained which of the two buildings was the origin point.
According to bystanders, the chemical warehouse housed bleaching powder, plastic and chemical peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Polymer products also emits poisonous gases when burned.
Security personnel are still trying to locate the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury told reporters.
An probe on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also in progress, he noted.
Weeping family members waited outside the burned buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his family member.
"When I learned of the fire, I rushed here. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my daughter back," he expressed to news media.
The tragic incident has yet again underscored the security issues plaguing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which engages millions of workers and is a significant provider of foreign revenue for the South Asian economy.
