Devastating Clothing Factory Blaze in Bangladesh Takes a Minimum of 16 Fatalities
No fewer than 16 persons have lost their lives after a enormous fire erupted at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with authorities warning that the death toll could climb.
Sixteen bodies have been recovered but were burned impossible to identify, the fire department said.
Heartbroken relatives assembled outside the four-storey factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on that day in search of their family members still unaccounted for.
The fire, which broke out at the factory around midday, was put out after multiple hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse kept burning, emergency services reported.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, media reports indicated.
Emergency responders have not ascertained which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Per eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse contained bleaching powder, plastic materials and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Polymer products also produces toxic fumes when ignited.
Security personnel are still trying to locate the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury informed journalists.
An probe on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also in progress, he mentioned.
Tearful family members waited outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Present at the scene is a man looking frantically for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I heard about the fire, I rushed here. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my loved one back," he expressed to reporters.
The devastating event has another time highlighted the security issues affecting Bangladesh's clothing sector, which employs countless of workers and is a major source of export earnings for the South Asian economy.
