Deadly Apparel Factory Fire in Bangladesh Has Taken at Least 16 Lives
At least 16 persons have lost their lives after a massive fire started at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with officials warning that the number of victims could rise.
A total of sixteen bodies have been found but were charred beyond recognition, the fire department reported.
Distraught relatives assembled outside the four-storey factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on Tuesday in seeking their dear ones still unaccounted for.
The fire, which started at the factory around lunchtime, was put out after three hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse kept burning, authorities confirmed.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, news sources indicated.
Fire department authorities have not ascertained which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Based on witnesses, the chemical warehouse housed industrial bleaches, plastic and industrial peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Synthetic materials also produces hazardous smoke when combusted.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still searching for the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury told journalists.
An probe on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also in progress, he added.
Weeping family members waited outside the burned buildings, many of them holding photographs of their missing relatives.
Among them is a man looking frantically for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I learned of the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my child back," he stated to journalists.
The devastating event has yet again emphasized the safety concerns facing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which employs millions of workers and is a major contributor to economic income for the South Asian economy.
