Devastating Clothing Factory Inferno in the South Asian nation Claims at Least 16 Victims
No fewer than 16 persons have died after a enormous fire erupted at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with authorities cautioning that the fatality count could climb.
Sixteen bodies have been recovered but were burned unrecognizable, the fire service reported.
Heartbroken relatives assembled outside the four-storey factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on Tuesday in looking for their loved ones still not found.
The inferno, which broke out at the factory around lunchtime, was extinguished after three hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse continued to burn, officials said.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, news sources indicated.
Fire service officials have not established which of the two buildings was the origin point.
According to eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse housed industrial bleaches, synthetic polymers and chemical peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Polymer products also emits hazardous smoke when combusted.
Security personnel are still attempting to find the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the department director told reporters.
An probe on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also in progress, he noted.
Crying family members gathered outside the burned buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their missing relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I learned of the fire, I rushed here. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my loved one back," he told reporters.
The tragic incident has once again underscored the hazardous conditions plaguing Bangladesh's garment industry, which employs millions of workers and is a crucial provider of export earnings for the South Asian economy.
