Tragic Clothing Factory Blaze in Bangladesh Claims a Minimum of 16 Lives
No fewer than 16 people have died after a massive fire started at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with officials stating that the number of victims could climb.
16 bodies have been recovered but were burned beyond recognition, the fire service said.
Heartbroken relatives gathered outside the four-level factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on that day in looking for their family members still unaccounted for.
The inferno, which started at the factory around noon, was extinguished after multiple hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse remained ablaze, emergency services reported.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, media reports said.
Emergency responders have not established which of the two buildings ignited initially.
According to bystanders, the chemical warehouse contained bleaching powder, plastic and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Synthetic materials also emits toxic fumes when combusted.
Police and military officers are still trying to locate the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the fire service official informed journalists.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also currently underway, he mentioned.
Weeping family members waited outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their missing relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man searching desperately for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I learned of the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my child back," he stated to reporters.
The tragic incident has once again highlighted the safety concerns facing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which employs countless of workers and is a crucial provider of foreign revenue for the South Asian economy.
