Deadly Clothing Factory Inferno in Bangladesh Has Taken a Minimum of 16 Lives
No fewer than 16 persons have lost their lives after a enormous fire broke out at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services stating that the number of victims could rise.
A total of sixteen bodies have been recovered but were incinerated unrecognizable, the firefighters stated.
Distraught relatives converged outside the multi-story factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on that day in search of their family members still not found.
The fire, which erupted at the factory around lunchtime, was put out after three hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse kept burning, authorities confirmed.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, journalistic accounts reported.
Fire service officials have not ascertained which of the two buildings ignited initially.
Per eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse housed industrial bleaches, plastic materials and chemical peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Plastic also releases hazardous smoke when combusted.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still attempting to find the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the department director told the media.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also currently underway, he noted.
Weeping family members waited outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their lost relatives.
Among them is a man looking frantically 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 told news media.
The devastating event has once again underscored the security issues facing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which engages numerous of workers and is a major source of export earnings for the South Asian economy.
