Devastating Clothing Factory Inferno in Bangladesh Claims a Minimum of 16 Victims
At least 16 individuals have lost their lives after a massive fire started at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with authorities cautioning that the death toll could increase.
Sixteen bodies have been recovered but were burned beyond recognition, the fire service stated.
Grief-stricken relatives assembled outside the four-level factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on that day in seeking their dear ones still not found.
The inferno, which broke out at the factory around lunchtime, was brought under control after multiple hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse kept burning, authorities reported.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, journalistic accounts said.
Fire service officials have not ascertained which of the two buildings ignited initially.
Based on bystanders, the chemical warehouse contained chemical bleaching agents, synthetic polymers and industrial peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Plastic also emits hazardous smoke when ignited.
Security personnel are still attempting to find the operators of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury told reporters.
An probe on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also ongoing, he mentioned.
Weeping family members waited outside the charred buildings, many of them holding photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man looking frantically for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I heard about the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my daughter back," he told journalists.
The tragic incident has another time underscored the hazardous conditions affecting Bangladesh's garment industry, which engages numerous of workers and is a crucial contributor to economic income for the country.
