Devastating Clothing Factory Inferno in Bangladesh Claims no Fewer than 16 Fatalities
A minimum of 16 individuals have lost their lives after a huge fire started at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with authorities cautioning that the fatality count could climb.
Sixteen bodies have been recovered but were incinerated unrecognizable, the firefighters stated.
Heartbroken relatives converged outside the multi-story factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on that day in seeking their loved ones still not found.
The fire, which erupted at the factory around lunchtime, was brought under control after several hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse remained ablaze, authorities said.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, media reports said.
Fire service officials have not established which of the two buildings was the origin point.
According to witnesses, the chemical warehouse contained industrial bleaches, plastic and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Plastic also produces hazardous smoke when burned.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still searching for the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the fire service official informed journalists.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also in progress, he mentioned.
Tearful family members waited outside the charred buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their lost relatives.
Among them is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I heard about the fire, I came running. But I still haven't found her... I just want my child back," he expressed to news media.
The devastating event has once again underscored the hazardous conditions facing Bangladesh's garment industry, which employs countless of workers and is a major provider of economic income for the South Asian economy.
