Devastating Garment Factory Fire in Bangladesh Takes a Minimum of 16 Lives
No fewer than 16 individuals have lost their lives after a enormous fire broke out at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services stating that the number of victims could climb.
Sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were charred impossible to identify, the firefighters said.
Grief-stricken relatives converged outside the four-storey factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on Tuesday in looking for their dear ones still not found.
The fire, which broke out at the factory around noon, was brought under control after three hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse continued to burn, officials reported.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, news sources indicated.
Emergency responders have not established which of the two buildings caught fire first.
According to bystanders, the chemical warehouse contained bleaching powder, plastic materials and industrial peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Plastic also produces toxic fumes when combusted.
Police and military officers are still trying to locate the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury informed reporters.
An probe on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also in progress, he mentioned.
Crying family members waited outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man looking frantically for his daughter, his family member.
"When I learned of the fire, I rushed here. But I still haven't found her... I just want my loved one back," he stated to reporters.
The devastating event has once again emphasized the security issues affecting Bangladesh's garment industry, which provides jobs for countless of workers and is a crucial source of economic income for the nation.
