Deadly Clothing Factory Blaze in the South Asian nation Has Taken no Fewer than 16 Fatalities
No fewer than 16 people have lost their lives after a huge fire started at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with officials stating that the fatality count could climb.
A total of sixteen bodies have been recovered but were charred unrecognizable, the firefighters reported.
Distraught relatives assembled outside the four-storey factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on that day in looking for their loved ones still missing.
The blaze, which started at the factory around noon, was put out after three hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse kept burning, officials reported.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, media reports indicated.
Fire department authorities have not determined which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Based on witnesses, the chemical warehouse stored industrial bleaches, synthetic polymers and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Synthetic materials also emits toxic fumes when combusted.
Security personnel are still searching for the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the fire service official briefed the media.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also currently underway, he mentioned.
Weeping family members gathered outside the charred buildings, many of them holding photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Present at the scene is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I was informed of the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my loved one back," he told news media.
The devastating event has another time underscored the safety concerns facing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which engages countless of workers and is a major source of foreign revenue for the country.
