Deadly Clothing Factory Inferno in Bangladesh Takes a Minimum of 16 Lives
No fewer than 16 individuals have died after a huge fire broke out at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services stating that the fatality count could climb.
16 bodies have been found but were burned beyond recognition, the fire service stated.
Distraught relatives assembled outside the multi-story factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on Tuesday in seeking their loved ones still not found.
The blaze, which broke out at the factory around lunchtime, was put out after three hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse continued to burn, emergency services said.
As late as 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 ascertained which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Based on bystanders, the chemical warehouse housed bleaching powder, plastic and chemical peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Polymer products also produces hazardous smoke when combusted.
Security personnel are still searching for the owners of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the department director told the media.
An probe on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also in progress, he added.
Weeping family members gathered outside the burned buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their lost relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man looking frantically for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I learned of the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my loved one back," he stated to journalists.
The tragic incident has another time highlighted the hazardous conditions facing Bangladesh's garment industry, which employs millions of workers and is a crucial source of economic income for the nation.
