Deadly Garment Factory Blaze in Bangladesh Takes at Least 16 Lives
At least 16 people have lost their lives after a huge fire started at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with authorities cautioning that the number of victims could increase.
16 bodies have been found but were incinerated impossible to identify, the fire service reported.
Distraught relatives gathered outside the four-level factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on Tuesday in looking for their family members still not found.
The inferno, which broke out at the factory around midday, was brought under control after several hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse remained ablaze, authorities reported.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, journalistic accounts said.
Fire department authorities have not determined which of the two buildings caught fire first.
According to bystanders, the chemical warehouse stored industrial bleaches, plastic materials and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Synthetic materials also releases poisonous gases when ignited.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still trying to locate the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury briefed reporters.
An probe on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also currently underway, he mentioned.
Weeping family members waited outside the burned buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their lost relatives.
Among them is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, Farzana Akhter.
"When I learned of the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my child back," he stated to journalists.
The devastating event has yet again highlighted the hazardous conditions facing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which engages countless of workers and is a crucial source of economic income for the country.
