Tragic Clothing Factory Blaze in the South Asian nation Takes at Least 16 Lives
At least 16 people have perished after a huge fire erupted at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services warning that the fatality count could rise.
Sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were burned impossible to identify, the fire service reported.
Grief-stricken relatives assembled outside the multi-story factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on Tuesday in looking for their dear ones still missing.
The blaze, which started at the factory around midday, was extinguished after several hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse remained ablaze, emergency services reported.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, journalistic accounts said.
Fire department authorities have not ascertained which of the two buildings caught fire first.
According to bystanders, the chemical warehouse stored bleaching powder, plastic and industrial peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Synthetic materials also releases toxic fumes when ignited.
Security personnel are still trying to locate the operators of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury informed reporters.
An probe on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also in progress, he mentioned.
Crying family members gathered outside the burned buildings, many of them holding photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Present at the scene is a man searching desperately for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I learned of the fire, I came running. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my daughter back," he told reporters.
The catastrophic occurrence has yet again underscored the security issues affecting Bangladesh's garment industry, which engages millions of workers and is a crucial contributor to export earnings for the nation.
