Devastating Clothing Factory Blaze in the South Asian nation Takes at Least 16 Lives
At least 16 persons have lost their lives after a huge fire erupted at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with officials cautioning that the number of victims could climb.
A total of sixteen bodies have been found but were charred unrecognizable, the firefighters said.
Heartbroken relatives converged outside the multi-story factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on Tuesday in looking for their loved ones still missing.
The inferno, which broke out at the factory around noon, was brought under control after three hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse continued to burn, emergency services reported.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, media reports said.
Fire service officials have not established which of the two buildings ignited initially.
According to eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse housed industrial bleaches, plastic and industrial peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Plastic also emits toxic fumes when burned.
Police and military officers are still searching for the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the fire service official briefed reporters.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also in progress, he mentioned.
Tearful family members waited outside the burned buildings, many of them holding photographs of their missing relatives.
Among them is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his family member.
"When I heard about the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still haven't found her... I just want my daughter back," he stated to journalists.
The devastating event has once again underscored the hazardous conditions affecting Bangladesh's garment industry, which engages numerous of workers and is a major source of foreign revenue for the nation.
