Tragic Clothing Factory Blaze in Bangladesh Claims at Least 16 Victims
A minimum of 16 persons have died after a enormous fire started at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with authorities cautioning that the death toll could climb.
A total of sixteen bodies have been recovered but were burned beyond recognition, the fire service reported.
Heartbroken relatives gathered outside the multi-story factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on Tuesday in search of their family members still unaccounted for.
The inferno, which started at the factory around midday, was put out after several hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse continued to burn, authorities reported.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, journalistic accounts indicated.
Emergency responders have not established which of the two buildings ignited initially.
Based on bystanders, the chemical warehouse housed bleaching powder, synthetic polymers and chemical peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Polymer products also releases poisonous gases when ignited.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still attempting to find the operators of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury informed the media.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also ongoing, he added.
Crying family members stood outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them holding photographs of their lost relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man looking frantically for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I was informed of the fire, I came running. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my daughter back," he told journalists.
The catastrophic occurrence has once again highlighted the security issues facing Bangladesh's garment industry, which engages countless of workers and is a crucial contributor to foreign revenue for the country.
