Deadly Garment Factory Blaze in the South Asian nation Claims a Minimum of 16 Lives
No fewer than 16 individuals have died after a massive fire broke out at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with authorities cautioning that the death toll could climb.
16 bodies have been found but were incinerated impossible to identify, the fire department stated.
Grief-stricken relatives gathered outside the multi-story factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on that day in looking for their family members still unaccounted for.
The fire, which erupted at the factory around noon, was brought under control after three hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse remained ablaze, officials said.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, journalistic accounts reported.
Fire service officials have not ascertained which of the two buildings ignited initially.
According to eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse contained chemical bleaching agents, plastic and chemical peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Plastic also produces toxic fumes when burned.
Police and military officers are still trying to locate the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the department director informed the media.
An probe on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also ongoing, he noted.
Weeping family members waited outside the charred buildings, many of them holding photographs of their lost relatives.
Among them is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I was informed of the fire, I rushed here. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my loved one back," he expressed to reporters.
The tragic incident has another time highlighted the safety concerns affecting Bangladesh's clothing sector, which provides jobs for millions of workers and is a crucial source of foreign revenue for the nation.
