Tragic Clothing Factory Inferno in Bangladesh Takes a Minimum of 16 Fatalities
No fewer than 16 persons have died after a enormous fire erupted at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with authorities warning that the number of victims could climb.
Sixteen bodies have been found but were burned beyond recognition, the fire department said.
Grief-stricken relatives gathered outside the four-level factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on Tuesday in search of their dear ones still missing.
The inferno, which erupted at the factory around midday, was brought under control after several hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse kept burning, officials said.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, journalistic accounts said.
Fire service officials have not ascertained which of the two buildings ignited initially.
According to eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse housed chemical bleaching agents, plastic materials and industrial peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Synthetic materials also produces poisonous gases when ignited.
Police and military officers are still searching for the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury briefed reporters.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also ongoing, he added.
Weeping family members stood outside the burned buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their lost relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his family member.
"When I learned of the fire, I rushed here. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my child back," he stated to news media.
The tragic incident has another time highlighted the hazardous conditions affecting Bangladesh's garment industry, which employs countless of workers and is a significant source of foreign revenue for the nation.
