Tragic Clothing Factory Blaze in Bangladesh Takes no Fewer than 16 Lives
A minimum of 16 people have died 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 found but were incinerated unrecognizable, the fire department stated.
Distraught relatives gathered outside the four-storey factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on that day in seeking their dear ones still missing.
The inferno, which started at the factory around midday, was put out after several 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 fully extinguished, journalistic accounts indicated.
Emergency responders have not determined which of the two buildings ignited initially.
Based on bystanders, the chemical warehouse housed chemical bleaching agents, plastic materials and industrial peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Plastic also releases hazardous smoke when burned.
Security personnel are still trying to locate the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the department director informed journalists.
An probe on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also in progress, he added.
Crying family members stood outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their missing relatives.
Present at the scene is a man looking frantically for his daughter, his family member.
"When I learned of the fire, I rushed here. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my child back," he stated to news media.
The devastating event has another time highlighted the hazardous conditions affecting Bangladesh's clothing sector, which engages countless of workers and is a crucial contributor to foreign revenue for the nation.
