Devastating Clothing Factory Fire in the South Asian nation Takes a Minimum of 16 Victims
A minimum of 16 persons have died after a enormous fire broke out at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services warning that the number of victims could climb.
Sixteen bodies have been found but were burned impossible to identify, the fire department reported.
Distraught relatives assembled outside the multi-story factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on Tuesday in search of their loved ones still not found.
The blaze, which broke out at the factory around noon, was put out after several hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse remained ablaze, officials confirmed.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, 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 caught fire first.
Per eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse housed industrial bleaches, synthetic polymers and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Synthetic materials also produces toxic fumes when ignited.
Security personnel are still searching for the operators of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the department director briefed journalists.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also in progress, he added.
Crying family members gathered outside the charred buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Among them 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 loved one back," he stated to reporters.
The catastrophic occurrence has yet again emphasized the safety concerns plaguing Bangladesh's garment industry, which employs numerous of workers and is a crucial source of export earnings for the country.
