Devastating Clothing Factory Blaze in Bangladesh Claims a Minimum of 16 Victims
At least 16 persons have perished after a massive fire erupted at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with officials cautioning that the death toll could increase.
16 bodies have been found but were charred impossible to identify, the firefighters stated.
Grief-stricken relatives converged outside the four-level factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on Tuesday in seeking their dear ones still missing.
The fire, which started at the factory around noon, was brought under control after multiple hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse kept burning, authorities confirmed.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, journalistic accounts reported.
Emergency responders have not established which of the two buildings ignited initially.
According to witnesses, the chemical warehouse housed industrial bleaches, synthetic polymers and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Polymer products also produces poisonous gases when burned.
Security personnel are still trying to locate the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the fire service official told the media.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also in progress, he mentioned.
Weeping family members waited outside the burned buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their lost relatives.
Among them is a man searching desperately for his daughter, his family member.
"When I was informed of the fire, I came running. But I still haven't found her... I just want my loved one back," he expressed to journalists.
The catastrophic occurrence has another time highlighted the safety concerns facing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which provides jobs for countless of workers and is a major provider of economic income for the nation.
