Devastating Clothing Factory Fire in Bangladesh Has Taken at Least 16 Victims
At least 16 people have died after a massive fire erupted at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with officials stating that the death toll could rise.
Sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were burned beyond recognition, the fire service said.
Grief-stricken relatives gathered outside the four-storey factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on that day in seeking their loved ones still unaccounted for.
The blaze, which broke out at the factory around lunchtime, was extinguished after several hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse remained ablaze, officials confirmed.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, media reports indicated.
Emergency responders have not established which of the two buildings was the origin point.
According to eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse stored industrial bleaches, plastic materials and chemical peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Synthetic materials also emits hazardous smoke when burned.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still attempting to find the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury briefed the media.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also in progress, he added.
Weeping family members gathered outside the burned buildings, many of them holding photographs of their missing relatives.
Present at the scene is a man looking frantically 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 expressed to news media.
The devastating event has once again highlighted the hazardous conditions affecting Bangladesh's garment industry, which engages numerous of workers and is a significant source of foreign revenue for the nation.
