Deadly Clothing Factory Blaze in the South Asian nation Takes a Minimum of 16 Fatalities
No fewer than 16 individuals have died after a huge fire started at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with officials cautioning that the number of victims could climb.
A total of sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were burned unrecognizable, the fire department stated.
Grief-stricken relatives converged outside the multi-story factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on Tuesday in seeking their dear ones still missing.
The fire, which started at the factory around lunchtime, was put out after three hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse continued to burn, emergency services confirmed.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, journalistic accounts reported.
Emergency responders have not determined which of the two buildings caught fire first.
According to bystanders, the chemical warehouse housed chemical bleaching agents, plastic and industrial peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Plastic also produces hazardous smoke when ignited.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still trying to locate the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the fire service official told reporters.
An probe on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also in progress, he added.
Tearful family members stood outside the charred buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Among them is a man searching desperately for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I heard about the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my daughter back," he told reporters.
The tragic incident has yet again emphasized the safety concerns affecting Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which engages countless of workers and is a significant provider of economic income for the South Asian economy.
