Deadly Garment Factory Blaze in Bangladesh Takes a Minimum of 16 Lives
No fewer than 16 persons have died after a massive fire erupted at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services cautioning that the fatality count could climb.
Sixteen bodies have been recovered but were incinerated beyond recognition, the fire service said.
Grief-stricken relatives converged outside the multi-story factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on Tuesday in seeking their dear ones still missing.
The inferno, which broke out at the factory around lunchtime, was extinguished after three hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse continued to burn, authorities confirmed.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, media reports indicated.
Emergency responders have not determined which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Per bystanders, the chemical warehouse contained industrial bleaches, plastic and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Polymer products also releases poisonous gases when combusted.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still trying to locate the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the fire service official briefed reporters.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also in progress, he added.
Crying family members waited outside the burned buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their lost relatives.
Present at the scene is a man searching desperately for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I was informed of the fire, I came running. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my daughter back," he told reporters.
The devastating event has yet again highlighted the security issues facing Bangladesh's garment industry, which provides jobs for numerous of workers and is a crucial contributor to export earnings for the South Asian economy.
