Devastating Clothing Factory Blaze in Bangladesh Claims no Fewer than 16 Victims
No fewer than 16 persons have died after a massive fire started at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with officials warning that the number of victims could increase.
Sixteen bodies have been found but were burned beyond recognition, the firefighters stated.
Grief-stricken relatives assembled outside the multi-story factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on that day in search of their family members still not found.
The inferno, which erupted at the factory around lunchtime, was put out after three hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse continued to burn, emergency services said.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, news sources said.
Emergency responders have not determined which of the two buildings was the origin point.
According to bystanders, the chemical warehouse stored industrial bleaches, plastic and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Synthetic materials also emits toxic fumes when burned.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still attempting to find the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the department director briefed reporters.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also in progress, he added.
Crying family members gathered outside the burned buildings, many of them holding photographs of their missing 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 loved one back," he expressed to journalists.
The catastrophic occurrence has another time highlighted the hazardous conditions plaguing Bangladesh's garment industry, which engages millions of workers and is a major provider of export earnings for the South Asian economy.
