Tragic Clothing Factory Fire in Bangladesh Has Taken at Least 16 Victims
At least 16 individuals have perished after a huge fire erupted at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with authorities cautioning that the fatality count could rise.
A total of sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were incinerated beyond recognition, the firefighters stated.
Grief-stricken relatives gathered outside the four-storey factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on that day in search of their loved ones still missing.
The blaze, which broke out at the factory around lunchtime, was extinguished after multiple hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse remained ablaze, emergency services confirmed.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, media reports indicated.
Fire department authorities have not determined which of the two buildings ignited initially.
Based on eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse housed industrial bleaches, plastic and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Plastic also emits poisonous gases when combusted.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still trying to locate the operators of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the department director informed reporters.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also in progress, he noted.
Weeping family members gathered outside the burned buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Among them is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I learned of the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still haven't found her... I just want my daughter back," he expressed to news media.
The tragic incident has yet again underscored the safety concerns facing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which employs millions of workers and is a crucial provider of export earnings for the South Asian economy.
