Deadly Clothing Factory Inferno in Bangladesh Has Taken at Least 16 Victims
At least 16 people have died after a enormous fire erupted at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with authorities stating that the fatality count could increase.
Sixteen bodies have been found but were incinerated impossible to identify, the fire service said.
Grief-stricken relatives converged outside the four-storey factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on that day in looking for their dear ones still unaccounted for.
The inferno, which erupted at the factory around noon, was put out after three hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse kept burning, officials confirmed.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, news sources said.
Emergency responders have not ascertained which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Based on bystanders, the chemical warehouse stored industrial bleaches, synthetic polymers and industrial peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Synthetic materials also produces poisonous gases when combusted.
Police and military officers are still trying to locate the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the department director informed journalists.
An probe on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also ongoing, he noted.
Tearful family members waited outside the charred buildings, many of them holding photographs of their lost relatives.
Present at the scene is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I heard about the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still haven't found her... I just want my child back," he expressed to journalists.
The catastrophic occurrence has another time underscored the hazardous conditions plaguing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which engages numerous of workers and is a crucial provider of export earnings for the country.
