Devastating Clothing Factory Fire in Bangladesh Takes no Fewer than 16 Victims
No fewer than 16 individuals have perished after a massive fire started at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services warning that the death toll could increase.
Sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were burned unrecognizable, the fire department reported.
Heartbroken relatives assembled outside the four-storey factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on that day in search of their family members still not found.
The fire, which erupted at the factory around noon, was brought under control after several hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse continued to burn, authorities said.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, news sources said.
Fire service officials have not ascertained which of the two buildings ignited initially.
Based on witnesses, the chemical warehouse housed bleaching powder, plastic and chemical peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Polymer products also releases toxic fumes when combusted.
Police and military officers are still searching for the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the fire service official told reporters.
An probe on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also in progress, he added.
Tearful family members stood outside the burned buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Present at the scene is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I heard about the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my child back," he expressed to news media.
The catastrophic occurrence has yet again emphasized the security issues affecting Bangladesh's clothing sector, which provides jobs for countless of workers and is a major source of export earnings for the country.
