Tragic Clothing Factory Inferno in Bangladesh Claims at Least 16 Victims
A minimum of 16 persons have perished after a massive fire started at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services warning that the number of victims could increase.
16 bodies have been recovered but were incinerated beyond recognition, the fire service reported.
Heartbroken relatives converged outside the four-level factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on Tuesday in search of their dear ones still missing.
The fire, which erupted at the factory around noon, was brought under control after several hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse continued to burn, officials reported.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, news sources reported.
Fire service officials have not ascertained which of the two buildings caught fire first.
According to witnesses, the chemical warehouse stored chemical bleaching agents, plastic materials and chemical peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Plastic also emits hazardous smoke when ignited.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still attempting to find the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury told the media.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also currently underway, he added.
Tearful family members gathered outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man looking frantically for his daughter, his family member.
"When I was informed of the fire, I rushed here. But I still haven't found her... I just want my daughter back," he stated to journalists.
The tragic incident has yet again highlighted the safety concerns facing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which provides jobs for countless of workers and is a major provider of foreign revenue for the nation.
