Deadly Clothing Factory Inferno in Bangladesh Has Taken at Least 16 Victims
At least 16 persons have lost their lives after a massive fire broke out at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services cautioning that the fatality count could rise.
16 bodies have been recovered but were burned unrecognizable, the fire service stated.
Distraught relatives gathered outside the four-storey factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on Tuesday in looking for their dear ones still missing.
The inferno, which broke out at the factory around noon, was extinguished after three hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse kept burning, authorities said.
As late as 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 determined which of the two buildings caught fire first.
According to bystanders, the chemical warehouse housed chemical bleaching agents, plastic and industrial peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Synthetic materials also emits hazardous smoke when burned.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still trying to locate the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the department director briefed the media.
An probe on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also ongoing, he noted.
Crying family members stood outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their lost relatives.
Present at the scene is a man seeking urgently 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 reporters.
The devastating event has another time highlighted the security issues facing Bangladesh's garment industry, which provides jobs for numerous of workers and is a significant contributor to economic income for the country.
