Devastating Clothing Factory Inferno in Bangladesh Takes at Least 16 Lives
A minimum of 16 individuals have lost their lives after a enormous fire erupted at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with authorities stating that the death toll could increase.
Sixteen bodies have been found but were burned impossible to identify, the firefighters said.
Heartbroken relatives assembled outside the four-level factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on Tuesday in seeking their family members still unaccounted for.
The blaze, which broke out at the factory around midday, was brought under control after multiple hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse kept burning, emergency services reported.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, news sources said.
Fire department authorities have not ascertained which of the two buildings caught fire first.
According to witnesses, the chemical warehouse contained chemical bleaching agents, plastic and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Polymer products also produces hazardous smoke when combusted.
Security personnel are still searching for the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the department director briefed journalists.
An probe on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also in progress, he mentioned.
Weeping family members waited outside the burned buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Among them is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I was informed of the fire, I came running. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my daughter back," he stated to news media.
The tragic incident has another time highlighted the safety concerns affecting Bangladesh's garment industry, which provides jobs for countless of workers and is a major contributor to export earnings for the nation.
