Deadly Clothing Factory Fire in Bangladesh Takes no Fewer than 16 Fatalities
A minimum of 16 individuals have died after a massive fire erupted at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with officials warning that the number of victims could increase.
Sixteen bodies have been found but were burned impossible to identify, the fire department stated.
Distraught relatives gathered outside the four-storey factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on Tuesday in seeking their loved ones still unaccounted for.
The fire, which broke out at the factory around noon, was put out after three hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse remained ablaze, authorities reported.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, journalistic accounts reported.
Fire department authorities have not ascertained which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Per eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse housed industrial bleaches, plastic and chemical peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Polymer products also produces hazardous smoke when burned.
Security personnel are still searching for the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the department director informed the media.
An probe on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also in progress, he noted.
Crying family members waited outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man searching desperately for his daughter, his family member.
"When I heard about the fire, I came running. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my daughter back," he expressed to news media.
The devastating event has once again highlighted the safety concerns plaguing Bangladesh's garment industry, which employs numerous of workers and is a major provider of economic income for the nation.
