Devastating Clothing Factory Blaze in Bangladesh Has Taken no Fewer than 16 Lives
No fewer than 16 people have died after a enormous fire broke out at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with officials cautioning that the fatality count could climb.
A total of sixteen bodies have been found but were charred impossible to identify, the fire department reported.
Grief-stricken relatives converged outside the four-storey factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on Tuesday in search of their loved ones still unaccounted for.
The fire, which broke out at the factory around noon, was extinguished after three hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse continued to burn, authorities confirmed.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, news sources reported.
Fire service officials have not ascertained which of the two buildings ignited initially.
Based on eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse housed bleaching powder, synthetic polymers and industrial peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Plastic also releases poisonous gases when burned.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still trying to locate the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury briefed the media.
An probe on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also currently underway, he noted.
Crying family members gathered 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 family member.
"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 once again highlighted the safety concerns facing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which provides jobs for millions of workers and is a crucial contributor to foreign revenue for the country.
