Deadly Apparel Factory Inferno in Bangladesh Takes a Minimum of 16 Victims
A minimum of 16 people have lost their lives after a massive fire broke out at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with officials warning that the death toll could increase.
16 bodies have been found but were charred impossible to identify, the firefighters said.
Distraught relatives gathered outside the multi-story factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on Tuesday in seeking their loved ones still unaccounted for.
The fire, which started at the factory around midday, was brought under control after multiple hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse continued to burn, officials reported.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, news sources indicated.
Fire department authorities have not established which of the two buildings ignited initially.
According to bystanders, the chemical warehouse contained chemical bleaching agents, plastic materials and chemical peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Synthetic materials also releases poisonous gases when burned.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still attempting to find the operators of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury told the media.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also ongoing, he mentioned.
Weeping family members gathered outside the burned buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their missing relatives.
Present at the scene is a man looking frantically for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I was informed of the fire, I rushed here. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my daughter back," he stated to reporters.
The tragic incident has another time highlighted the safety concerns facing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which engages countless of workers and is a crucial provider of export earnings for the country.
