Deadly Clothing Factory Blaze in Bangladesh Claims a Minimum of 16 Lives
At least 16 persons have lost their lives after a massive fire started at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with authorities warning that the fatality count could climb.
A total of sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were incinerated beyond recognition, the fire department said.
Distraught relatives gathered outside the four-level factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on Tuesday in search of their family members still not found.
The fire, which started at the factory around lunchtime, was extinguished after three hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse remained ablaze, authorities reported.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, journalistic accounts indicated.
Fire service officials have not established which of the two buildings ignited initially.
According to eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse contained bleaching powder, plastic materials and chemical peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Plastic also emits poisonous gases when ignited.
Security personnel are still searching for the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the fire service official briefed reporters.
An probe on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also in progress, he mentioned.
Weeping 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 seeking urgently for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I heard about the fire, I came running. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my child back," he told journalists.
The catastrophic occurrence has yet again highlighted the security issues affecting Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which engages countless of workers and is a crucial provider of economic income for the country.
