Deadly Apparel Factory Fire in Bangladesh Claims at Least 16 Lives
No fewer than 16 individuals have perished after a massive fire broke out at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with officials warning that the number of victims could climb.
16 bodies have been retrieved but were charred beyond recognition, the fire service said.
Distraught relatives assembled outside the multi-story factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on that day in looking for their family members still not found.
The blaze, which started at the factory around midday, was extinguished after several hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse continued to burn, authorities reported.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, media reports indicated.
Fire department authorities have not established which of the two buildings ignited initially.
Per witnesses, the chemical warehouse housed bleaching powder, synthetic polymers and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Plastic also produces poisonous gases when combusted.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still trying to locate the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the department director briefed reporters.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also ongoing, he noted.
Crying family members waited outside the burned buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his family member.
"When I learned of the fire, I rushed here. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my daughter back," he told reporters.
The catastrophic occurrence has once again underscored the hazardous conditions affecting Bangladesh's clothing sector, which provides jobs for numerous of workers and is a major source of export earnings for the country.
