Devastating Garment Factory Inferno in Bangladesh Takes a Minimum of 16 Victims
No fewer than 16 persons have perished after a massive fire started at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with authorities cautioning that the fatality count could increase.
16 bodies have been recovered but were charred impossible to identify, the fire department reported.
Heartbroken relatives gathered outside the four-level factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on Tuesday in search of their loved ones still unaccounted for.
The blaze, which started at the factory around lunchtime, was brought under control after several hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse kept burning, emergency services reported.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, journalistic accounts reported.
Fire department authorities have not determined which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Based on eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse contained bleaching powder, synthetic polymers and chemical peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Plastic also produces toxic fumes when burned.
Police and military officers are still trying to locate the operators of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury told the media.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also currently underway, he noted.
Weeping family members gathered outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them holding photographs of their lost relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man looking frantically for his daughter, his family member.
"When I heard about the fire, I came running. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my daughter back," he told journalists.
The devastating event has yet again emphasized the hazardous conditions plaguing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which employs numerous of workers and is a major provider of economic income for the country.
