Bangladesh Garment Factory Fire kills 16, Toll can rise, he officially says

• The flame clothing unit spreads to a chemical warehouse.
• Firefighters recover 16 bodies as rescue efforts continue.
• The cause of the deadly flame has not yet been determined, officials say.
  

Dhaka: A fire at a clothing plant in Bangladesh and a chemical warehouse next to it on Tuesday killed at least 16 people and injured several, while the death toll is expected to increase as rescue efforts continued, an employee said.

“16 bodies have been recovered from the second and third floors of the clothing plant,” said Fire Department Manager Tajul Islam Chowdhury, adding that the number of deaths could be increased as recovery operations continue.

He said that the cause of the fire was not immediately known.

The fire broke out around noon on the third floor of the seven -storey factory in the Mirpur area of ​​the capital Dhaka, before spreading to a chemical warehouse storing whitening powder, plastic and hydrogen peroxide, Talha bin Jashim, according to another firefighter.

Relatives affected by sadness gathered to search for their loved ones, some photos they kept.

History of Industrial Disaster

Chowdhury said factory owners had not yet been identified. “The police and the army are looking for them.”

Asked if the chemical warehouse was allowed to operate, he said: “We don’t know the permit yet.

In a collection message, Bangladeshi’s temporary government chief Muhammad Yunus expressed deep sadness over the tragedy. He called on the authorities to investigate the cause of the fire and to ensure that the victims and their families received all necessary assistance.

Poor fire safety and construction patterns lead to dozens of such catastrophes in Bangladesh each year and previous accidents have tarnished the country’s textile products, which employs 4 million people and is more than 10% of the country.

In 2013, more than 1,100 people were killed when Rana Plaza Building Housing Groundory Edrents suddenly collapsed.

On Tuesday, 12 firefighting units brought the fire to the factory under control after nearly three hours, although the fire in the warehouse continued. Members of the Bangladeshi army, police and border guard joined the rescue operation, officials said.