Tragic Garment Factory Fire in Bangladesh Takes at Least 16 Fatalities
At least 16 people have died after a massive fire started at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with authorities stating that the death toll could climb.
Sixteen bodies have been recovered but were burned impossible to identify, the fire service said.
Distraught relatives assembled outside the four-level factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on Tuesday in looking for their family members still unaccounted for.
The blaze, which erupted at the factory around lunchtime, was extinguished after multiple hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse continued to burn, emergency services confirmed.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, journalistic accounts said.
Fire department authorities have not determined which of the two buildings ignited initially.
According to witnesses, the chemical warehouse housed chemical bleaching agents, plastic materials and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Plastic also produces hazardous smoke when burned.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still trying to locate the operators of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury briefed the media.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was operating legally is also ongoing, he mentioned.
Tearful family members gathered outside the charred buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their missing relatives.
Present at the scene is a man looking frantically for his daughter, his family member.
"When I was informed of the fire, I rushed here. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my daughter back," he told journalists.
The catastrophic occurrence has once again underscored the safety concerns affecting Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which provides jobs for millions of workers and is a significant source of foreign revenue for the country.
