Devastating Garment Factory Fire in Bangladesh Takes a Minimum of 16 Lives
At least 16 people have died after a massive fire erupted at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services warning that the number of victims could climb.
A total of sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were burned impossible to identify, the fire department said.
Heartbroken relatives assembled outside the four-level factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on Tuesday in looking for their loved ones still not found.
The blaze, which broke out at the factory around noon, was put out after multiple hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse kept burning, authorities reported.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, journalistic accounts indicated.
Emergency responders have not determined which of the two buildings ignited initially.
According to witnesses, the chemical warehouse contained bleaching powder, plastic and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Polymer products also emits toxic fumes when combusted.
Security personnel are still attempting to find the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury informed the media.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also in progress, he added.
Weeping family members stood outside the burned buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man searching desperately for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I learned of the fire, I rushed here. But I still haven't found her... I just want my daughter back," he stated to journalists.
The devastating event has yet again highlighted the safety concerns facing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which engages countless of workers and is a significant provider of economic income for the country.