Tragic Clothing Factory Fire in Bangladesh Claims a Minimum of 16 Victims
A minimum of 16 individuals have lost their lives after a huge fire broke out at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with officials warning that the death toll could rise.
16 bodies have been found but were charred beyond recognition, the fire service said.
Grief-stricken relatives assembled outside the four-storey factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on that day in search of their loved ones still unaccounted for.
The inferno, which broke out at the factory around noon, was extinguished after three hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse remained ablaze, emergency services said.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, media reports reported.
Fire service officials have not established which of the two buildings ignited initially.
Based on witnesses, the chemical warehouse stored industrial bleaches, synthetic polymers and industrial peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Synthetic materials also produces poisonous gases when combusted.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still trying to locate the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the fire service official briefed the media.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also in progress, he added.
Weeping family members gathered outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their lost relatives.
Present at the scene is a man looking frantically for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I heard about the fire, I came running. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my daughter back," he told reporters.
The tragic incident has once again underscored the security issues facing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which engages numerous of workers and is a significant provider of economic income for the country.
