Tragic Apparel Factory Inferno in Bangladesh Takes a Minimum of 16 Victims
At least 16 people have died after a enormous fire erupted at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with officials warning that the fatality count could rise.
16 bodies have been found but were incinerated impossible to identify, the fire service said.
Grief-stricken relatives gathered outside the multi-story factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on Tuesday in looking for their family members still unaccounted for.
The blaze, which started at the factory around lunchtime, was put out after several hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse continued to burn, emergency services said.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, 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.
Based on bystanders, the chemical warehouse stored industrial bleaches, synthetic polymers and industrial peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Polymer products also emits toxic fumes when burned.
Police and military officers are still searching for the owners of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the fire service official briefed reporters.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also in progress, he noted.
Crying family members stood outside the burned buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Present at the scene is a man looking frantically for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I was informed of the fire, I came running. But I still haven't found her... I just want my loved one back," he stated to journalists.
The tragic incident has another time highlighted the hazardous conditions plaguing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which provides jobs for millions of workers and is a significant provider of export earnings for the country.
