Tragic Clothing Factory Inferno in Bangladesh Has Taken a Minimum of 16 Fatalities
No fewer than 16 individuals have died after a enormous fire broke out at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with officials cautioning that the death toll could increase.
16 bodies have been recovered but were incinerated unrecognizable, the fire department said.
Heartbroken relatives gathered outside the multi-story factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on that day in looking for their family members still missing.
The blaze, which broke out at the factory around noon, was extinguished after multiple hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse continued to burn, authorities confirmed.
As late as 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 ascertained which of the two buildings caught fire first.
According to eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse stored bleaching powder, plastic and industrial peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Polymer products also produces hazardous smoke when burned.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still attempting to find the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the department director told the media.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also ongoing, he mentioned.
Tearful family members gathered outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their missing relatives.
Present at the scene is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I was informed of the fire, I came running. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my daughter back," he expressed to reporters.
The catastrophic occurrence has yet again highlighted the hazardous conditions plaguing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which provides jobs for numerous of workers and is a significant source of foreign revenue for the nation.
