Tragic Clothing Factory Fire in Bangladesh Claims no Fewer than 16 Lives
At least 16 people have died after a enormous fire started at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with authorities warning that the number of victims could climb.
A total of sixteen bodies have been recovered but were burned unrecognizable, the fire department stated.
Distraught relatives converged outside the four-storey factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on Tuesday in search of their dear ones still unaccounted for.
The fire, which broke out at the factory around lunchtime, was put out after several hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse continued to burn, authorities confirmed.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, media reports said.
Fire department authorities have not established which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Per eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse housed chemical bleaching agents, synthetic polymers and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Polymer products also emits poisonous gases when burned.
Security personnel are still searching for the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury informed the media.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also currently underway, he noted.
Weeping family members stood outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Among them is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I learned of the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my daughter back," he told news media.
The tragic incident has another time underscored the safety concerns plaguing Bangladesh's garment industry, which engages millions of workers and is a significant contributor to foreign revenue for the South Asian economy.
