Deadly Apparel Factory Inferno in the South Asian nation Claims a Minimum of 16 Fatalities
A minimum of 16 people have perished after a massive fire broke out at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services stating that the death toll could increase.
Sixteen bodies have been recovered but were charred unrecognizable, the firefighters reported.
Grief-stricken relatives converged outside the multi-story factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on Tuesday in looking for their family members still not found.
The fire, which broke out at the factory around midday, was brought under control after three hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse continued to burn, authorities reported.
Until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been fully extinguished, journalistic accounts reported.
Fire department authorities have not ascertained which of the two buildings caught fire first.
Per eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse contained chemical bleaching agents, synthetic polymers and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Plastic also emits toxic fumes when ignited.
Police and military officers are still trying to locate the owners of the factory and the warehouse, emergency services head the department director informed journalists.
An investigation on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also ongoing, he mentioned.
Weeping family members gathered outside the charred buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their unaccounted for relatives.
Present at the scene is a man searching desperately for his daughter, his family member.
"When I heard about the fire, I hurried to the scene. But I still haven't found her... I just want my loved one back," he expressed to news media.
The tragic incident has another time emphasized the safety concerns facing Bangladesh's apparel manufacturing, which employs countless of workers and is a significant provider of economic income for the country.
