Tragic Clothing Factory Blaze in the South Asian nation Has Taken at Least 16 Lives
No fewer than 16 people have died after a enormous fire erupted at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with officials cautioning that the death toll could increase.
Sixteen bodies have been found but were burned unrecognizable, the fire service stated.
Distraught relatives gathered outside the four-level factory in Dhaka's Mirpur area on Tuesday in search of their loved ones still not found.
The inferno, which erupted at the factory around lunchtime, was extinguished after several hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse remained ablaze, emergency services confirmed.
Up until 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, journalistic accounts indicated.
Emergency responders have not established which of the two buildings caught fire first.
According to bystanders, the chemical warehouse housed industrial bleaches, plastic materials and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can accelerate fires. Polymer products also emits toxic fumes when ignited.
Security personnel are still attempting to find the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, fire service director Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury told reporters.
An inquiry on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also currently underway, he added.
Crying family members waited outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their missing relatives.
Among them is a man searching desperately for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I learned of the fire, I came running. But I still haven't found her... I just want my loved one back," he stated to reporters.
The catastrophic occurrence has another time highlighted the hazardous conditions facing Bangladesh's garment industry, which engages millions of workers and is a crucial provider of economic income for the nation.
