Deadly Garment Factory Fire in Bangladesh Has Taken at Least 16 Victims
A minimum of 16 people have died after a massive fire started at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services stating that the number of victims could rise.
16 bodies have been retrieved but were incinerated impossible to identify, the fire service stated.
Grief-stricken relatives gathered outside the multi-story factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on Tuesday in looking for their family members still missing.
The fire, which started at the factory around lunchtime, was extinguished after multiple hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse continued to burn, authorities reported.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, journalistic accounts said.
Fire service officials have not ascertained which of the two buildings ignited initially.
According to witnesses, the chemical warehouse contained bleaching powder, plastic and chemical peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Synthetic materials also emits hazardous smoke when combusted.
Security personnel are still trying to locate the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury briefed the media.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also currently underway, he noted.
Tearful family members waited outside the burned buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Present at the scene is a man looking frantically for his daughter, his family member.
"When I learned of the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my loved one back," he told journalists.
The tragic incident has another time underscored the security issues facing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which provides jobs for countless of workers and is a significant source of foreign revenue for the country.
