Deadly Clothing Factory Fire in Bangladesh Claims no Fewer than 16 Lives
No fewer than 16 people have died after a massive fire started at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services warning that the fatality count could climb.
Sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were charred impossible to identify, the fire service said.
Distraught relatives converged outside the multi-story factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on that day in seeking their family members still missing.
The blaze, which broke out at the factory around noon, was put out after three hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse kept burning, officials confirmed.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, journalistic accounts said.
Emergency responders have not ascertained which of the two buildings caught fire first.
According to bystanders, the chemical warehouse stored industrial bleaches, plastic materials and chemical peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Plastic also produces toxic fumes when combusted.
Security personnel are still trying to locate the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the fire service official informed journalists.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also ongoing, he added.
Tearful family members gathered outside the charred buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their missing relatives.
Among them is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I was informed of the fire, I rushed here. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my loved one back," he told journalists.
The tragic incident has another time highlighted the safety concerns plaguing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which provides jobs for countless of workers and is a crucial provider of export earnings for the nation.
