Tragic Clothing Factory Fire in Bangladesh Has Taken no Fewer than 16 Victims
No fewer than 16 persons have died after a huge fire started at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services stating that the death toll could increase.
16 bodies have been recovered but were burned impossible to identify, the firefighters stated.
Heartbroken relatives assembled outside the multi-story factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on that day in search of their family members still unaccounted for.
The inferno, which started at the factory around midday, was brought under control after multiple hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse kept burning, emergency services confirmed.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, news sources indicated.
Fire service officials have not ascertained which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Per eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse housed industrial bleaches, synthetic polymers and chemical peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Synthetic materials also releases hazardous smoke when combusted.
Security personnel are still trying to locate the owners of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the department director told reporters.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also ongoing, he added.
Tearful family members stood outside the burned buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their lost relatives.
Present at the scene is a man searching desperately for his daughter, his family member.
"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 stated to journalists.
The catastrophic occurrence has another time underscored the security issues plaguing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which engages numerous of workers and is a major source of export earnings for the nation.