At least 16 people have died after a huge fire broke out at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with officials warning that the toll could rise. Sixteen bodies have been recovered but were burned beyond recognition, the fire service said. Distraught relatives gathered outside the four-storey factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on Tuesday in search of their loved ones still missing. The blaze, which broke out at the factory around midday, was extinguished after three hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse continued to burn, authorities said.
Large fires are relatively common in densely populated Bangladesh, often due to lax safety standards and poor infrastructure. Hundreds of people have been killed in fires in recent years. Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse in Mirpur had not been completely doused, media reports said. Fire service officials have not ascertained which of the two buildings caught fire first. Eyewitnesses reported that the chemical warehouse stored materials that could intensify fires, including bleaching powder and plastic, which release toxic fumes when burned.
Fire service director Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury indicated that victims likely suffered instant fatality due to inhalation of 'highly toxic gas'. Police and military personnel are still in search of the factory and warehouse owners, while ongoing investigations are being conducted to determine the legality of the warehouse's operations. Many relatives stood outside the charred buildings with photographs of their missing loved ones, including a man desperately looking for his daughter. The tragedy underscores ongoing safety concerns in Bangladesh's industrial sector, historically plagued by such disasters.
Large fires are relatively common in densely populated Bangladesh, often due to lax safety standards and poor infrastructure. Hundreds of people have been killed in fires in recent years. Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse in Mirpur had not been completely doused, media reports said. Fire service officials have not ascertained which of the two buildings caught fire first. Eyewitnesses reported that the chemical warehouse stored materials that could intensify fires, including bleaching powder and plastic, which release toxic fumes when burned.
Fire service director Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury indicated that victims likely suffered instant fatality due to inhalation of 'highly toxic gas'. Police and military personnel are still in search of the factory and warehouse owners, while ongoing investigations are being conducted to determine the legality of the warehouse's operations. Many relatives stood outside the charred buildings with photographs of their missing loved ones, including a man desperately looking for his daughter. The tragedy underscores ongoing safety concerns in Bangladesh's industrial sector, historically plagued by such disasters.
