Devastating Clothing Factory Inferno in the South Asian nation Has Taken a Minimum of 16 Victims
A minimum of 16 people have perished after a massive fire broke out at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services warning that the number of victims could increase.
16 bodies have been recovered but were burned unrecognizable, the fire department reported.
Distraught relatives converged outside the four-level factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on that day in search of their loved ones still not found.
The blaze, which erupted at the factory around noon, was extinguished after three hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse remained ablaze, emergency services confirmed.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, journalistic accounts said.
Fire service officials have not ascertained which of the two buildings ignited initially.
Based on bystanders, the chemical warehouse housed bleaching powder, plastic materials and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Plastic also releases poisonous gases when ignited.
Police and military officers are still attempting to find the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury informed journalists.
An probe on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also ongoing, he mentioned.
Tearful family members waited outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their missing relatives.
Present at the scene is a man looking frantically for his daughter, his family member.
"When I was informed of the fire, I rushed here. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my child back," he stated to reporters.
The catastrophic occurrence has another time highlighted the security issues affecting Bangladesh's garment industry, which employs millions of workers and is a crucial source of foreign revenue for the South Asian economy.
