Bangladesh garment factory fire kills at least 16
While at least 16 people lost their lives in a huge fire at a garment factory in Bangladesh, authorities warned that the death toll could increase.
The fire department said 16 bodies were found but burned beyond recognition.
Distraught relatives gathered outside the four-storey factory in Dhaka’s Mirpur district on Tuesday to search for their still-missing loved ones.
The fire, which broke out at noon in the factory, was extinguished after 3 hours. But a nearby chemical warehouse continued to burn, officials said.
In densely populated Bangladesh, large fires are relatively common, often due to lax safety standards and poor infrastructure. Hundreds of people have lost their lives in fires in recent years.
A fire broke out at a chemical warehouse in Mirpur around 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday. According to media reports, it could not be completely extinguished.
Fire officials were unable to determine which of the two buildings caught fire first.
According to eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse stores bleaching powder, plastic and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Plastic also produces toxic fumes when burned.
Fire chief Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury told local media that the victims died “instantly”, possibly after inhaling “highly toxic gas”.
Police and military officials were still trying to find the owners of the factory and warehouse, Mr. Chowdhury told reporters.
He added that the investigation into whether the warehouse was operating legally was continuing.
Weeping family members stood in front of the burned buildings, many holding photos of their missing loved ones.
Among them is a man who is desperately searching for his daughter Farzana Akhter.
“I came running when I heard the fire. But I still couldn’t find her… I just want my daughter back,” he told Reuters news agency.
In 2021, at least 52 people died and 20 people were injured in a fire at a food and beverage factory. An investigation later revealed that the factory was built illegally and had no emergency exits.
In 2019, a fast-moving fire in a historic district of Dhaka killed at least 78 people, including members of a bridal party.
The nation’s deadliest industrial accident to date occurred in 2013 when an eight-story commercial building collapsed due to a structural failure, killing more than 1,100 people.
