Devastating Clothing Factory Fire in Bangladesh Has Taken a Minimum of 16 Fatalities
At least 16 people have died after a massive fire erupted at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with authorities cautioning that the number of victims could increase.
A total of sixteen bodies have been recovered but were charred impossible to identify, the fire service stated.
Grief-stricken relatives converged outside the four-level factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on Tuesday in search of their family members still not found.
The blaze, which erupted at the factory around noon, was brought under control after several hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse kept burning, authorities said.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, news sources indicated.
Fire department authorities have not determined which of the two buildings was the origin point.
According to witnesses, the chemical warehouse contained bleaching powder, plastic materials and chemical peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Polymer products also releases hazardous smoke when ignited.
Security personnel are still attempting to find the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the fire service official told journalists.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also in progress, he mentioned.
Crying family members waited outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their missing relatives.
Present at the scene is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I was informed of the fire, I came running. But I still haven't found her... I just want my daughter back," he expressed to news media.
The devastating event has yet again highlighted the security issues affecting Bangladesh's clothing sector, which engages millions of workers and is a significant provider of economic income for the South Asian economy.
