Devastating Clothing Factory Blaze in Bangladesh Has Taken at Least 16 Lives
No fewer than 16 people have died after a massive fire erupted at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services stating that the number of victims could climb.
16 bodies have been retrieved but were incinerated beyond recognition, the fire service stated.
Grief-stricken relatives assembled outside the multi-story factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on Tuesday in seeking their dear ones still unaccounted for.
The inferno, which erupted at the factory around midday, was extinguished after multiple hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse continued to burn, emergency services confirmed.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, news sources indicated.
Fire service officials have not ascertained which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Per witnesses, the chemical warehouse stored bleaching powder, plastic and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Plastic also produces toxic fumes when combusted.
Police and military officers are still attempting to find the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury briefed reporters.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also ongoing, he noted.
Weeping family members stood outside the burned buildings, many of them holding photographs of their lost relatives.
Present at the scene is a man looking frantically for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I heard about the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still haven't found her... I just want my daughter back," he expressed to reporters.
The catastrophic occurrence has once again underscored the safety concerns facing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which provides jobs for millions of workers and is a major contributor to economic income for the nation.
