Tragic Clothing Factory Blaze in the South Asian nation Takes a Minimum of 16 Victims
A minimum of 16 persons have died after a massive fire started at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services warning that the number of victims could climb.
A total of sixteen bodies have been recovered but were burned beyond recognition, the firefighters reported.
Grief-stricken relatives assembled outside the multi-story factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on Tuesday in looking for their loved ones still missing.
The blaze, which started at the factory around lunchtime, was brought under control after several hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse remained ablaze, officials confirmed.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, news sources said.
Fire department authorities have not ascertained which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Based on bystanders, the chemical warehouse stored industrial bleaches, synthetic polymers and industrial peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Plastic also releases toxic fumes when combusted.
Police and military officers are still searching for the owners of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury briefed the media.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also currently underway, he noted.
Crying family members stood outside the charred buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their missing relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I was informed of the fire, I came running. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my daughter back," he stated to journalists.
The tragic incident has yet again underscored the safety concerns affecting Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which employs countless of workers and is a crucial contributor to foreign revenue for the South Asian economy.
