Devastating Clothing Factory Fire in Bangladesh Has Taken a Minimum of 16 Victims
No fewer than 16 people have died after a huge fire started at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with authorities warning that the fatality count could rise.
Sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were charred beyond recognition, the firefighters reported.
Grief-stricken relatives assembled outside the multi-story 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 midday, was put out after several hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse remained ablaze, officials confirmed.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, journalistic accounts indicated.
Fire department authorities have not ascertained which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Per witnesses, the chemical warehouse stored bleaching powder, plastic and industrial peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Polymer products also produces hazardous smoke when ignited.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still searching for the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury told the media.
An probe on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also in progress, he mentioned.
Tearful family members stood outside the charred buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Among them is a man searching desperately for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I learned of the fire, I came running. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my daughter back," he stated to journalists.
The catastrophic occurrence has yet again emphasized the hazardous conditions facing Bangladesh's garment industry, which employs millions of workers and is a significant source of foreign revenue for the nation.
