Deadly Apparel Factory Inferno in the South Asian nation Claims at Least 16 Fatalities
No fewer than 16 people have died after a enormous fire erupted at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services cautioning that the death toll could increase.
A total of sixteen bodies have been recovered but were burned impossible to identify, the firefighters stated.
Grief-stricken relatives converged outside the four-storey factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on Tuesday in seeking their dear ones still not found.
The inferno, which broke out at the factory around noon, was put out after several hours. But an neighboring chemical warehouse continued to burn, emergency services confirmed.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, news sources reported.
Fire service officials have not ascertained which of the two buildings ignited initially.
Based on eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse contained bleaching powder, plastic and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can intensify fires. Synthetic materials also emits toxic fumes when combusted.
Law enforcement and armed forces are still trying to locate the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the department director told the media.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also ongoing, he mentioned.
Weeping family members waited outside the charred buildings, many of them holding 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 rushed here. But I still haven't found her... I just want my daughter back," he told reporters.
The catastrophic occurrence has once again emphasized the safety concerns facing Bangladesh's garment industry, which engages millions of workers and is a significant source of export earnings for the nation.
