Devastating Garment Factory Blaze in Bangladesh Has Taken a Minimum of 16 Fatalities
A minimum of 16 people have died 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 burned unrecognizable, the fire department said.
Heartbroken relatives assembled outside the multi-story factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on Tuesday in looking for their loved ones still not found.
The fire, which erupted at the factory around midday, was brought under control after multiple hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse kept burning, officials reported.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, journalistic accounts indicated.
Fire department authorities have not established which of the two buildings was the origin point.
According to bystanders, the chemical warehouse contained bleaching powder, synthetic polymers and industrial peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Synthetic materials also emits poisonous gases 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 briefed journalists.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also currently underway, he mentioned.
Crying family members gathered 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, his loved one.
"When I was informed of the fire, I rushed here. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my loved one back," he told news media.
The devastating event has another time emphasized the security issues plaguing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which provides jobs for numerous of workers and is a crucial provider of export earnings for the country.
