Deadly Clothing Factory Inferno in Bangladesh Claims a Minimum of 16 Lives
A minimum of 16 persons have perished after a huge fire broke out at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with officials warning that the death toll could increase.
16 bodies have been retrieved but were burned beyond recognition, the fire department reported.
Distraught relatives converged outside the multi-story factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on Tuesday in looking for their family members still unaccounted for.
The inferno, which broke out at the factory around lunchtime, was put out after three hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse continued to burn, emergency services said.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, news sources said.
Fire service officials have not established which of the two buildings caught fire first.
According to bystanders, the chemical warehouse contained industrial bleaches, plastic and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Polymer products also releases hazardous smoke when ignited.
Police and military officers are still trying to locate the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the department director informed journalists.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also currently underway, he mentioned.
Crying family members waited outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them holding photographs of their lost relatives.
Present at the scene is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his family member.
"When I was informed of the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my loved one back," he told journalists.
The tragic incident has another time emphasized the security issues affecting Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which provides jobs for millions of workers and is a significant source of export earnings for the South Asian economy.
