Deadly Clothing Factory Blaze in Bangladesh Claims no Fewer than 16 Fatalities
At least 16 individuals have died after a huge fire erupted at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with officials stating that the number of victims could climb.
16 bodies have been retrieved but were incinerated impossible to identify, the fire service reported.
Distraught relatives assembled outside the multi-story factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on Tuesday in looking for their family members still not found.
The inferno, which erupted at the factory around noon, was extinguished after three hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse remained ablaze, authorities said.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, media reports indicated.
Fire department authorities have not determined which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Per bystanders, the chemical warehouse housed industrial bleaches, synthetic polymers and industrial peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Polymer products also releases hazardous smoke when ignited.
Police and military officers are still trying to locate the owners of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the department director briefed journalists.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also in progress, he mentioned.
Tearful family members waited outside the charred buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their missing relatives.
Present at the scene is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I learned of the fire, I rushed here. But I still haven't found her... I just want my child back," he stated to reporters.
The catastrophic occurrence has another time emphasized the security issues plaguing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which employs numerous of workers and is a significant provider of economic income for the country.
