Deadly Clothing Factory Inferno in Bangladesh Takes no Fewer than 16 Victims
No fewer than 16 people have died after a enormous fire broke out at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with authorities stating that the death toll could rise.
Sixteen bodies have been found but were charred unrecognizable, the fire department stated.
Grief-stricken relatives converged outside the four-level factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on that day in search of their dear ones still unaccounted for.
The inferno, which started at the factory around midday, was extinguished after multiple hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse continued to burn, emergency services said.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, news sources reported.
Emergency responders have not established which of the two buildings caught fire first.
According to bystanders, the chemical warehouse housed industrial bleaches, plastic and chemical peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Synthetic materials also produces toxic fumes when burned.
Police and military officers are still attempting to find the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the department director told reporters.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also in progress, he mentioned.
Tearful family members waited outside the burned buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Among them is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his family member.
"When I was informed of the fire, I rushed here. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my child back," he told reporters.
The devastating event has yet again emphasized the security issues facing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which provides jobs for millions of workers and is a major provider of economic income for the South Asian economy.
