Devastating Clothing Factory Fire in the South Asian nation Takes a Minimum of 16 Fatalities
No fewer than 16 people have perished after a enormous fire started at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with officials warning that the death toll could rise.
Sixteen bodies have been found but were incinerated impossible to identify, the fire service stated.
Distraught relatives converged outside the four-level factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on Tuesday in search of their loved ones still not found.
The blaze, which broke out at the factory around lunchtime, was extinguished after three hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse remained ablaze, emergency services confirmed.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, media reports said.
Fire department authorities have not ascertained which of the two buildings was the origin point.
Per bystanders, the chemical warehouse housed bleaching powder, plastic materials and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Plastic also emits hazardous smoke when combusted.
Security personnel are still trying to locate the owners of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the department director told the media.
An probe on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also in progress, he mentioned.
Tearful family members waited outside the charred buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Included in the crowd is a man looking frantically for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I learned of the fire, I came running. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my daughter back," he stated to news media.
The tragic incident has another time underscored the security issues affecting Bangladesh's clothing sector, which provides jobs for numerous of workers and is a crucial source of economic income for the nation.
