Terrible Textile Fire in Bangladesh: Factory and Chemical Warehouse Go Up in Flames, 16 Workers Killed

DAKKA - Bangladesh's capital Dhaka has been shaken by a new tragedy in the country's lifeblood textile industry. A massive fire broke out in a building housing a textile factory and a chemical warehouse in the city, killing 16 workers, according to initial estimates. Fire crews are continuing to extinguish and search and the death toll could unfortunately rise, officials said.

Fire Started in the Morning

The fire broke out around 11:40 a.m. local time in a multi-story building that houses both a textile factory and a chemical warehouse, the Dhaka Tribune reported. Due to the presence of chemicals, the flames spread rapidly and quickly engulfed a large part of the building.

A large number of fire and rescue teams were dispatched to the scene. After a long period of extinguishing and cooling efforts, fire brigade officials concentrated on the search under the rubble. The number of lifeless bodies reached by the teams so far is announced as 16.

Fears Death toll could rise

Factories and industrial plants in Bangladesh, particularly in the textile industry, often suffer fatal fires due to inadequate safety measures and illegal warehouse operations. In this case, it is estimated that the high risk of fire caused by the fact that a textile production area and a chemical warehouse were located in the same building led to a great loss of life.

Firefighters said that firefighting efforts in the building were continuing in difficult conditions and that the death toll was likely to rise amid fears that there could be other workers trapped inside or under the rubble.

The tragedy has again put Bangladesh's worker safety standards in the garment industry under international scrutiny. While an investigation has been launched into the incident, the exact number of casualties is expected to be clarified after the fire is fully under control and the debris removal works are completed.

source: evrensel.net