Deadly Clothing Factory Fire in the South Asian nation Has Taken no Fewer than 16 Fatalities
At least 16 persons have perished after a massive fire started at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with officials warning that the number of victims could increase.
16 bodies have been found but were burned beyond recognition, the fire service stated.
Grief-stricken relatives assembled outside the four-storey factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on Tuesday in looking for their family members still missing.
The fire, which broke out at the factory around noon, was extinguished after several hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse remained ablaze, emergency services said.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, media reports indicated.
Fire service officials have not established which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Per witnesses, the chemical warehouse contained chemical bleaching agents, plastic materials and industrial peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Plastic also produces hazardous smoke when combusted.
Security personnel are still trying to locate the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the department director told journalists.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also in progress, he noted.
Crying family members gathered outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Present at the scene is a man looking frantically for his daughter, his family member.
"When I was informed of the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my child back," he stated to reporters.
The catastrophic occurrence has once again emphasized the hazardous conditions plaguing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which engages countless of workers and is a significant source of foreign revenue for the South Asian economy.
