Devastating Clothing Factory Blaze in the South Asian nation Has Taken at Least 16 Fatalities
A minimum of 16 persons have lost their lives after a massive fire broke out at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with authorities stating that the number of victims could climb.
Sixteen bodies have been recovered but were incinerated beyond recognition, the fire service stated.
Heartbroken relatives converged outside the four-storey factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on Tuesday in seeking their loved ones still missing.
The fire, which erupted at the factory around lunchtime, was extinguished after multiple hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse remained ablaze, emergency services confirmed.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, journalistic accounts reported.
Emergency responders have not determined which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Per eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse contained chemical bleaching agents, plastic materials and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Synthetic materials also emits hazardous smoke when ignited.
Police and military officers are still trying to locate the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the fire service official informed journalists.
An probe on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also in progress, he noted.
Weeping family members gathered outside the burned 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 haven't found her... I just want my daughter back," he told journalists.
The devastating event has another time highlighted the safety concerns affecting Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which engages millions of workers and is a major contributor to foreign revenue for the South Asian economy.
