Tragic Clothing Factory Fire in Bangladesh Claims no Fewer than 16 Lives
A minimum of 16 people have died after a enormous fire started at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with authorities stating that the fatality count could climb.
A total of sixteen bodies have been found but were burned impossible to identify, the firefighters reported.
Heartbroken relatives assembled outside the four-storey factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on that day in looking for their loved ones still not found.
The blaze, which started at the factory around noon, was put out after three hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse remained ablaze, authorities confirmed.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, journalistic accounts said.
Fire service officials have not determined which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Per bystanders, the chemical warehouse contained industrial bleaches, synthetic polymers and industrial peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Plastic also releases poisonous gases when ignited.
Police and military officers are still trying to locate the owners of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director the department director informed reporters.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also in progress, he mentioned.
Weeping family members gathered outside the burned buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their lost relatives.
Among them is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his family member.
"When I heard about the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my child back," he told reporters.
The catastrophic occurrence has once again emphasized the security issues plaguing Bangladesh's garment industry, which employs countless of workers and is a significant contributor to export earnings for the country.
