Tragic Clothing Factory Inferno in Bangladesh Takes no Fewer than 16 Lives
A minimum of 16 people have died after a massive fire started at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with authorities stating that the fatality count could increase.
Sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were burned beyond recognition, the fire department said.
Distraught relatives gathered outside the four-level factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on that day in looking for their loved ones still not found.
The blaze, which started at the factory around lunchtime, was brought under control after several hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse kept burning, emergency services said.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, media reports indicated.
Emergency responders have not ascertained which of the two buildings ignited initially.
Based on bystanders, the chemical warehouse stored bleaching powder, plastic materials and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Synthetic materials also produces hazardous smoke when ignited.
Police and military officers are still attempting to find the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the department director informed the media.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also currently underway, he noted.
Tearful family members waited outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them grasping 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 rushed here. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my loved one back," he expressed to reporters.
The tragic incident has another time emphasized the hazardous conditions affecting Bangladesh's clothing sector, which employs countless of workers and is a crucial provider of foreign revenue for the country.
