Deadly Clothing Factory Fire in Bangladesh Claims no Fewer than 16 Fatalities
No fewer than 16 people have perished after a massive fire erupted at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services stating that the death toll could increase.
A total of sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were charred impossible to identify, the fire service reported.
Heartbroken relatives converged outside the four-storey factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on that day in looking for their loved ones still unaccounted for.
The blaze, which erupted at the factory around noon, was extinguished after multiple hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse remained ablaze, authorities said.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, media reports indicated.
Emergency responders have not ascertained which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Based on witnesses, the chemical warehouse contained bleaching powder, plastic and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Polymer products also produces hazardous smoke when ignited.
Security personnel are still searching for the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the department director informed reporters.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also currently underway, he added.
Crying family members gathered outside the charred buildings, many of them holding photographs of their lost relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man seeking urgently 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 loved one back," he told news media.
The devastating event has another time highlighted the safety concerns affecting Bangladesh's garment industry, which provides jobs for numerous of workers and is a crucial source of export earnings for the South Asian economy.
