Deadly Clothing Factory Inferno in Bangladesh Takes no Fewer than 16 Fatalities
A minimum of 16 individuals have lost their lives after a massive fire broke out at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with authorities warning that the number of victims could increase.
Sixteen bodies have been recovered but were charred beyond recognition, the firefighters said.
Grief-stricken relatives converged outside the multi-story factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on Tuesday in search of their loved ones still unaccounted for.
The inferno, which broke out at the factory around noon, was extinguished after multiple hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse remained ablaze, authorities reported.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, media reports said.
Emergency responders have not ascertained which of the two buildings was the origin point.
According to witnesses, the chemical warehouse housed bleaching powder, plastic and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Polymer products also produces hazardous smoke when burned.
Police and military officers are still trying to locate the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the department director informed reporters.
An probe on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also ongoing, he noted.
Weeping family members waited outside the charred buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their lost relatives.
Present at the scene is a man looking frantically for his daughter, his family member.
"When I was informed of the fire, I rushed here. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my child back," he stated to journalists.
The catastrophic occurrence has once again emphasized the safety concerns affecting Bangladesh's clothing sector, which employs millions of workers and is a crucial source of export earnings for the country.
