Tragic Clothing Factory Blaze in Bangladesh Claims at Least 16 Lives
No fewer than 16 people have died after a huge fire broke out at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services warning that the fatality count could increase.
Sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were incinerated beyond recognition, the fire department said.
Heartbroken relatives assembled outside the four-storey factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on Tuesday in looking for their family members still unaccounted for.
The blaze, which broke out at the factory around noon, was extinguished after multiple 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 entirely put out, media reports reported.
Fire department authorities have not ascertained which of the two buildings ignited initially.
Per bystanders, the chemical warehouse contained industrial bleaches, plastic and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Plastic also produces hazardous smoke when combusted.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still attempting to find the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the department director told the media.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also in progress, he noted.
Weeping family members gathered outside the burned buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their missing relatives.
Among them is a man searching desperately for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I was informed of the fire, I came running. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my loved one back," he stated to news media.
The tragic incident has yet again underscored the security issues plaguing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which engages numerous of workers and is a major contributor to export earnings for the country.
