Tragic Clothing Factory Fire in Bangladesh Claims a Minimum of 16 Victims
At least 16 people have perished after a massive fire started at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with officials warning that the number of victims could climb.
Sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were burned impossible to identify, the firefighters stated.
Grief-stricken relatives gathered outside the four-level factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on Tuesday in looking for their loved ones still unaccounted for.
The blaze, which broke out at the factory around lunchtime, was brought under control after multiple hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse remained ablaze, authorities reported.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been entirely put out, journalistic accounts indicated.
Fire service officials have not established which of the two buildings ignited initially.
Per bystanders, the chemical warehouse housed bleaching powder, plastic materials and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Plastic also releases hazardous smoke when combusted.
Security personnel are still searching for the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury informed the media.
An probe on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also in progress, he noted.
Weeping family members gathered outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them holding photographs of their lost relatives.
Present at the scene is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his family member.
"When I heard about the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still cannot locate her... I just want my loved one back," he told journalists.
The devastating event has yet again emphasized the security issues facing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which employs millions of workers and is a significant contributor to export earnings for the South Asian economy.